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Copyright N° 





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A SUMMER IN THE 
APPLE TREE INN 


BY 

ELLA PARTRIDGE LIPSETT 

n 


With Four Illustrations by Mary Wellman 



NEW YORK 

HENRY HOLT AND COMPANY 
1906 



LIBRARY of CONGRESS 
Two Copies Received 

MAh 24 1906 

pyniflu Entry 
CLASS CC\ AXC, No, 

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COPY A. 


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Copyright, 1906 

BY 

Henry Holt and Company 


Published , March , igoO 




To the Cheery Captain , 
My Father 




CONTENTS 


CHAPTER PAGE 

I. The Fairy Godmother i 

II. The Apple Tree Inn 18 

III. The Trust 35 

IV. The Mysterious Cabinet 54 

V. The Genie of the Silvery Mist ..... 69 

VI. The Way Things Happened ....... 89 

VII. The Piper from Tokio 124 

VIII. A Dance and a Dinner 154 

IX. The Boy and the Burglar 181 

X. The Play 206 

XI. The End of the Quest . 227 




ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 

The Apple Tree Inn 18 

The Dwarf Swung the Gates Open for the 

Prince to Enter 80 

He Gravely Introduced the Queen of Sheba 

and the Lady Jane Grey 170 

In the Evenings the Party Gathered around 

a Sparkling Fire to Hear His Stories .... 195 



A SUMMER IN THE APPLE 
TREE INN 


CHAPTER I 

THE FAIRY GODMOTHER 

I T’S raining cats and dogs/’ wailed Dorothy for- 
lornly, pressing her face close to the window 
pane against which the driving rain dashed and 
trickled in headlong rivulets, “ and it’s our first day 
in the country, too.” 

“ Dorothy ! ” exclaimed a reproachful voice from 
the depths of a four-poster bed, “ you promised to 
call me if you waked up first,” and the bedclothes 
heaved in restless billows until Mildred’s tousled 
head appeared above the white confusion. 

“ You needn’t be so keen to get up,” snapped 
Dorothy crossly, “ we cannot go out, and it is as 
cold as anything. The fog is so thick X cannot even 
see the bay. So we won’t be able to watch the 
boats, and that would have been something to do at 
least.” 


2 The Fairy Godmother 

“ Oh,” groaned Mildred, jumping from the bed 
and running across to the window to see for herself 
the unkindness of the weather, “ we cannot go to 
the barn or play in the garden, and the brook will be 
too high to wade in.” 

“ Of course,” wailed Dorothy, “ and I suppose 
we will have to play in that stuffy attic with the 
rusty sword and the old hoopskirts and the duds we 
left there last summer. And Aunt Margaret will 
say after breakfast, ‘ now run up to the playroom, 
kiddies, and “ make believe ” until I have time to 
frolic with you. We must have a merry day in spite 
of the rainy weather,’ ” she mimicked naughtily. 

Mildred giggled, but she glanced uneasily toward 
the open door, for she thought she had heard a foot- 
step in Aunt Margaret’s room beyond. Dorothy 
was always so funny when she was just cross enough 
to imitate people, and even father said she was 
clever at it sometimes. 

“ Then grandma will tell us a story this evening 
about some remarkable children she used to know 
when she was young, and we’ll have to sit still and 
be respectful when all of our fingers and toes are just 


The Fairy Godmother 3 

aching to wiggle. What is it, Dorothy, that always 
keeps going and screwing inside when we have to 
sit still in church and other places? It’s like — 
like ” 

“ A motor carriage with the brake on,” suggested 
Dorothy, as she splashed into one of the shining little 
tubs which stood on either side of the toilet stand 
and which Harriet had filled with water the night 
before. “ It just shakes and chugs frantically, but 
the brake won’t let it move.” 

“ Do we have a motor, too, Dorothy?” looking 
askance at the other tub into which she was also 
expected to plunge for her morning bath. 

Dorothy looked superior. “ It’s not called motor 
in our physiology,” pronouncing it very carefully, 
“ but it means the same thing as circulation. That 
never stops even when we are asleep.” 

“ Did you ever see one, Dorothy? ” 

“See a circulation? You silly! No, I never 
did. Now, Mildred, get into that tub this minute. 
You’re just fooling round to gain time, and you’re 
hoping you’ll have to miss your bath; I know 
you.” 


4 The Fairy Godmother 

“ But it’s so cold,” whimpered the child, touching 
the water cautiously with her little pink toes, “ and 
father’s not here to ask if we had our bath.” 

“ Coward ! ” taunted Dorothy contemptuously. 
“ ‘ ’Fraid of the dark, ’fraid of the wet, ’fraid the 
goblins will get you yet ! ’ You know well enough 
why father wants us to take our cold dip. It makes 
us tough and strong, and that’s why we never have 
things like other girls. Get in this minute! I’m 
not going to wait to curl your hair after I’m dressed, 
so you had better scuttle. I smell something good 
and brownish too, from the kitchen.” 

“ Wish grandma would have hot cakes this cold 
morning,” sputtered Mildred. 

“ By the way,” said Dorothy suddenly, “ what did 
you do with the chocolate father gave you to carry 
in the train yesterday ? Did you leave any of it ? I 
saw you and Bob snipping and tasting all the time 
and you never passed it to us, you were so mean.” 

“ I was not,” contradicted Mildred shortly. 
“Ough, this water is so cold! We just tasted it 
first to see if it had vanilla in it, then Bob asked if I 
did not think it was a bit burnt, so we snipped a little 


The Fairy Godmother 5 

more to see, but it wasn’t, so there! Please hand 
me that towel, Dorothy.” 

“ Then- where is it, pray? ” 

“ Why, that Chinaman took the bag and I sup- • 
pose he’s eaten the candy by this time. What makes 
Aunt Margaret have that heathen laundryman work 
for her?” 

“ He’s not a Chinaman or a laundryman- either. 
He’s a Japanese, and Aunty says he knows enough 
to stock a university. He came over here to learn 
English a long time ago, on grandfather’s ship, and 
he’s known our people ever since, and so this sum- 
mer he asked Aunt Margaret to let him live here. 

I know he wouldn’t eat the candy. He’s too polite 
to sneak. Why, he took off his hat even to me, last 
night at the station, and said in his queer, sharp 
kind of a voice, 4 Will the honourable Miss allow 
me to carry her luggage?’ And when he lifted 
Lydia into the carriage, he said, 4 Will the little lady 
permit Koto to place her in the carriage? ’ ” 

44 What makes him so polite ? Did they begin 
with him when he was small, just as mother does 
with us ? ,f 


6 The Fairy Godmother 

“ No, indeed, they began with the very first one of 
them all, and there never was a rude Japanese born ; 
father said so.” 

Mildred sighed. “ I wish I was one. It’s so hard 
to be made to be polite when you don’t want to be.” 

“ It certainly is. Goodness, what a tangle ! 
What makes you have such curly hair, Mildred? 
The rest of us don’t. And Mildred, don’t gobble 
when you eat, for mother is not here to reprove you. 
And for mercy’s sake, don’t stare at Koto when he 
waits on the table, or he will think you are an 
aborigine.” 

“ I don’t gobble,” grumbled Mildred. “ I saw 
you eat a banana in four bites, on the train yester- 
day, and then you hid the skin under the cushion 
and pretended you didn’t know it was there.” 

“ You’d better hush,” warned Dorothy, tweaking 
the golden curls she was brushing vigorously ; “ I 
could tell tales, too.” 

“ Yes, but you’re ten years old and I’m only 
seven. And mother says you ought to be an example 
in things, but you’re not.” 

“ Because I’m ten years old then,” very loftily, “ I 


The Fairy Godmother 7 

do not intend to explain my conduct to any 
child.” 

“ You’d better take lessons from Koto, if he’s so 
polite, missy ! Oh, Dorothy, why didn’t he have his 
eye holes cut bigger ? ” 

“ He didn’t have anything to do with it — he was 
born that way.” 

“ That don’t make any difference. Puppies are 
born with ears and tails, and coachmen always cut 
them off in the stable to make them valuable. Bob 
said so.” 

“ Koto couldn’t have his eyes cut. He’s like all 
his people. You couldn’t expect him to be like us.” 

“ Why not? Didn’t God make all of us? ” 

“Yes, but he has lots of patterns and he uses a 
different one for every country. Now, I absolutely 
refuse to answer another question.” 

“ Good-morning, girls,” called a cheery voice 
from the doorway, and Aunt Margaret bustled in, 
fresh and rosy in her white morning gown. “ I’ll 
tie the hair ribbons in a jiffy. The bell is just ring- 
ing.” And the subdued tones of a bronze gong 
sounded softly through the quiet house. 


8 The Fairy Godmother 

“ Now, let , s button these dresses like Jack Robin- 
son, for grandma is waiting for her coffee, and Har- 
riet had the waffle irons smoking hot when I slipped 
into the kitchen just now. Bob and Lydia are down 
already, and I’m sure he has counted every white 
swallow on the blue syrup jug, for I saw him eyeing 
it on the table, and I have every reason to believe 
that he has had evidence of the genuineness of the 
syrup inside. There, we look as tidy as pins and as 
fresh as roses. Come, we can all go down together. 
The stairs are wide and lead to pleasant places.” 

“Are you really a fairy godmother?” asked 
Mildred shyly, as they crowded down the stairway, 
three abreast, as Aunt Margaret had an arm about 
each little girl, “ and do you have a wand and 
things? Father said so.” 

Aunt Margaret laughed. " Father didn’t mean a 
real fairy godmother, though I might make believe 
to be one for a little time. I have a place in my 
room where I sit and think out things for people 
and they work about like magic sometimes, but I 
won’t begin to make believe now, I’m too hungry to 
pretend anything.” 


The Fairy Godmother 9 

Bob and Lydia were waiting on the hearth in 
front of a cheery driftwood fire, as the May day was 
as chilly as fall, and outside the rain poured unceas- 
ingly. The blazing fire drove away the gloom from 
the dining-room, whose long windows reached down 
to the floor and overlooked the fog-covered bay. 

Grandma’s gentle face beamed at the children over 
the coffee urn and her cheeks were as pink as the 
ribbons on her pretty cap. 

“ Isn’t it nice to have them here, Margaret? And 
it’s the baby’s first visit too, alone,” nodding to 
Lydia, who had been too small to leave her mother 
last summer. But the other children had visited 
Beach Farm many times and knew every nook and 
cranny within it as well as every dell and cove 
without. 

To Lydia everything was new and strange, and 
the children smiled at her awe of the silver coffee 
urn and her amazement at grandma’s portrait 
brooch, to say nothing of the quivering ribbons on 
her cap. They all stared equally at the slender Koto, 
who seemed to serve everybody at once and to know 
each time when another waffle would be acceptable. 


io The Fairy Godmother 

Of course, the waffles were brown and delicious. 
Harriet intended them to be, and the maple syrup 
was the nicest that ever flowed from trees. The 
little blue jug was passed around and around with- 
out a reprimand from grandma, who never once sug- 
gested that maple syrup was bad at times for the 
digestion. Bob had his milk cup filled four times 
unrebuked, for there was a lovely Jersey cow in the 
barn and no milkman tO' send in a bill for extras. 

Aunt Margaret’s tabby cat sat on the back of her 
chair and glared uncompromisingly with her yellow 
eyes at the children and the Japanese alike. It had 
been hard enough to import the almond-eyed Asiatic, 
but to add four children at one time was more than 
her equanimity could stand. Thank goodness, she 
had the barn as a place of refuge, and she knew of 
hiding places that even four pairs of shining eyes 
could not ferret out. 

“ Let me see,” grandma chatted on. “ Bob is 
twelve, Dorothy ten, Mildred seven and Lydia five, 
all a year older than last year and knowing a year 
more of everything. Well, dears, you will find a 
welcome in every part of the farm, and some stir- 


The Fairy Godmother n 

prises too, which I hope will please you. Koto here, 
will spend his spare time playing with you and he 
has already devised many new games in his wise 
young head.” 

Koto smiled delightedly and bowed respectfully to 
grandma, while his sparkling eyes spoke unutterable 
things to the children. Mildred suddenly displayed 
such an agonised expression on her little face that 
Aunt Margaret asked anxiously if anything was 
wrong. 

“ I’m just trying to make believe that I’m used 
to seeing a Japanese in the dining-room. But Aunt 
Margaret, why didn’t God make him out of a dif- 
ferent pattern ? ” 

Aunt Margaret spoke quickly to Koto, who left 
the room on some errand, and she flashed a glance 
at grandma, who was very busy with the coffee urn, 
and whose ribbons quivered above it with some agi- 
tation. 

“ I think, Mildred,” said Aunt Margaret quietly, 
“ that you will soon be accustomed to him, and I 
assure you he will be the merriest playfellow in the 
world. You must remember that he comes of a 


12 The Fairy Godmother 

very good family and is not an ordinary person at 
all. I trust none of you will fail to be courteous to 

“ And now/’ went on Aunt Margaret, when the 
last drop of milk had been swallowed and the last 
sticky crumb of waffle had been munched, “ I’m 
going to begin to be the fairy godmother and each 
of you may have one wish which we will try to ful- 
fil in some way. I think Lydia had better begin, as 
she believes most in fairies.” 

Lydia blushed and hid her eyes behind a long be- 
ribboned curl, which she pulled over her face. 

“ Come, Lydia, don’t be shy. You needn’t put 
on before us,” and Bob prodded her under the table 
with his foot. Lydia suddenly smiled like a sun- 
beam behind her fluffy hair. “ I wish,” she said 
softly, “ that we had a real fairy to play with. I 
thought,” she whispered, pointing to the bunch of 
flowers in the centre of the table, “ I saw something 
move in there, with shining wings, and I hoped it 
was a fairy.” 

The children laughed merrily at Lydia’s imaginary 
fairy, but Aunt Margaret rose from her chair and 


The Fairy Godmother 13 

leaned across to look more closely at the flowers, and 
when she touched them, lo, something moved and 
fluttered. 

It was a butterfly, a huge black and yellow fellow, 
and he floated leisurely across, the room to the 
window sill where some potted plants were bloom- 
ing gaily. Lydia was so startled that she ran and 
hid her face against grandma’s shoulder, while Bob 
exclaimed excitedly that the cocoon must be hidden 
somewhere. 

“ He’s just hatched, Aunt Margaret, for there is 
still some powdery down on his wings.” 

In the midst of the excitement, old tabby sneaked 
from under the table, and watching her chance, 
sprang after the beautiful floating bit of colour. 
But it quickly soared so high that she could only 
snap her teeth and blink her eyes in disappointment. 
She was quickly banished from the room, and Bob 
watched carefully to keep the butterfly away from 
the draft in the chimney place. 

“ It’s my fairy,” suddenly piped Lydia. “ I had 
my wish come true in one minute.” And as the 
child spoke, the butterfly fluttered over to her and lit 


14 The Fairy Godmother 

on the ruffle of her apron. With mingled fear and 
delight Lydia looked with dilated eyes at the ex- 
quisite stranger sitting so confidingly on her 
shoulder. 

“ I suppose/’ said grandma softly to Aunt Mar- 
garet, “ that Koto could account for it.” 

“ A beautiful beginning, mother. I hope the 
other surprises will be as successful. Come, let us 
go on with the wishes while we are watching Lydia 
and her fairy. Mildred may have her turn now.” 

“ Oh,” laughed the child, shutting her eyes tight 
together, “ I wish I could have my pocket full of 
candy, and be able to eat it all without having to 
take medicine after it.” 

“ Pig, pig ! ” teased Dorothy, “ what a wish to tell 
anybody.” 

“ I don’t care, the wish was right in my heart and 
I told it.” 

“ Of course,” said Aunt Margaret, “ she may 
have her wish, but I’m not so sure about the medi- 
cine. Your father sent me a little box of sugar pills 
with specific directions, but as long as they are sweet 
you won’t care whether they are candy or medicine. 


The Fairy Godmother 15 

You know that even fairy godmothers have to be 
sensible and not give people wishes that would be 
harmful to them. 

“ Now, Dprothy, it is your turn.” 

“ I wish,” said Dorothy quickly, “ that I could 
have all the books I wanted to read, and that I could 
just play a while and have a good time without hav- 
ing to be an example to the children. It’s a strain 
sometimes,” and she sighed like a little old woman. 
“ I can never even be myself because I have to 
remember that the children might be looking or 
copying.” 

Aunt Margaret looked curiously into Dorothy’s 
frank brown eyes, and her face was very grave as 
she encouraged her to go on with her wish. 

“ Then I would like to have a place where I can 
make believe cook and mix and mess things to my 
heart’s content. Mother won’t allow it at home be- 
cause it worries Janet, and then she says it makes 
me untidy, but I like to be untidy and make things 
with my own hands.” 

“ Oh,” and Aunt Margaret smiled so suddenly 
that it seemed like a rift of sunshine across her face, 


1 6 The Fairy Godmother 

“ I know all about it, Dorothy, and we’ll talk it over 
some other time. Now let Bob tell what a real boy 
wishes for.” 

“ Of course,” said Bob, “ I could wish for things 
to eat like Mildred, and for books like Dorothy, but 
my very heart’s wish is for a box of paints and some 
brushes, and a chance to use them. And then I wish 
I could do something — something to please father 
this summer. He says he’ll give me up pretty soon 

if it doesn’t come, but — but ,” and Bob looked 

so uncomfortable that Aunt Margaret laughed 
merrily. 

“ Never mind, Bob, if it is too painful a subject to 
tell your fairy godmother. At any rate the paints 
are already waiting for you ; and as for that ‘ some- 
thing,’ we’ll contrive it in some way.” 

“ Now run and get on your cloaks and rubbers, 
girls, while Bob and I hunt for umbrellas. We are 
all going out, as your grandfather would have said, 
‘ on a voyage of discovery,’ but it’s only to the or- 
chard and not on the sea. It’s no wonder,” she said 
to Bob, “ that we all adore the sight and smell of 
the sea when our very bones and marrow are filled 


The Fairy Godmother 17 

with the love of it. Are you going to be a sailor 
too, Bob? ” 

“ Yes, if I cannot be a painter. But father says 
he won't allow any idle artists in his family." 

“ Now what is that dreadful ‘ something,' Bob," 
she coaxed softly. 

“ It’s because I’m a coward, Aunt Margaret, and 
father can't thrash it out of me." Bob’s face grew 
very red, and his lips quivered, as Aunt Margaret 
suddenly put her arm around him and gave him a 
good squeeze. 

“ Never mind, old chap. I know a road to it that 
your father doesn’t dream of. No, I won’t tell any- 
body, but I’m glad to know what it is. Ready, 
girls ? Now, off we go to the orchard." 

Away they went under the dripping trees still cov- 
ered with apple blossoms, while the grass beneath 
was strewn with the pink-tipped petals. 


CHAPTER II 


THE APPLE TREE INN 

B OB was the first to discover it, as he had hur- 
ried on ahead along the gravel path, and 
when he suddenly came upon the odd-looking build- 
ing, nestled among the apple trees, he gave a long 
whistle of astonishment. 

“ What is it, Aunt Margaret ? ” he called back. 
“ This was not here last year.” 

“ No,” she answered, smiling, “ this is one of the 
surprises.” And when they all stood in front of the 
door, she called their attention to the swinging 
painted sign above it. One side was printed in 
bright red letters, “ The Apple Tree Inn,” and on the 
other was a wonderful sketch of an apple tree whose 
fruit was as scarlet as cherries in August and about 
as large. 

On either side of the door were two small win- 
dows draped with muslin curtains, and the polished 
18 



The Apple-Tree Inn, 





The Apple Tree Inn 19 

glass glistened like two shining eyes beneath the 
overhanging eaves. The house was brown and one 
story high with a curious sloping roof, and the short 
chimney was painted red and capped with a pompous 
weather vane. 

“ Why it’s like a bird house, only prettier and 
bigger,” exclaimed the children. “ But why did 
somebody want an inn in your orchard, Aunt Mar- 
garet ? ” 

But Aunt Margaret had opened the door without 
first, knocking with the cute brass knocker and the 
children crowded eagerly after her. Then she 
rapidly explained that the building had formerly 
done service as a granary, and with the help of Koto 
and a clever carpenter it had been moved and trans- 
formed into a habitable little dwelling. 

“ Of course, you know now that it is a playhouse 
for you children, and each of you will find in it just 
what belongs to you. There are three rooms and a 
tiny kitchen beyond for Dorothy, who will be house- 
keeper and will see that it is kept orderly and prop- 
erly. Here are the keys of the cabinets and closets, 
and you could not have a better day to become ac- 


20 The Apple Tree Inn 

quainted with the treasures waiting for you in them. 
Now, I will leave you, but shall expect you to return 
to the house in time for dinner. And,” she nodded 
archly, “ grandma and I will be so happy to receive 
invitations to afternoon tea, if Dorothy could man- 
age to serve it about four o’clock.” 

And away she went out in the rain again, leaving 
the children breathless with delight, and positive that 
there never had been such a playhouse in all the 
world, nor a more delightful fairy godmother. 

They wandered about the quaintly ’furnished 
rooms and tested the comfort of all the inviting little 
rocking chairs which stood in every corner. They 
peeped into the pretty baskets on the tables and ad- 
mired the strange designs on the matting which 
covered the floor of every room. Queer Japanese 
kites and fans decorated the walls, and in one room 
a huge umbrella had been opened and fastened to a 
beam so that it spread its flowered cover as if to 
protect the occupants of the room from possible sum- 
mer showers. From the very centre of it hung a 
brilliant butterfly whose paper wings fluttered with 
every breath of air. In another room behind a won- 


The Apple Tree Inn 21 

derful screen with shelves, Bob found a miniature 
studio with an easel, and paints and brushes enough 
to have stocked a shop. Then there was a cabinet 
too, all of his very own, with tiny drawers and cup- 
boards enough to satisfy the most curious of boys. 
In the same room was a case of books beneath a cosy 
window seat, covered with cushions of such gay 
colours that they resembled stuffed rainbows sewed 
together. And on the cushions were verses painted 
and one of them ran like this : 

“Rest a while and lean on me, 

I’m full of comfort as can be.” 

In fact there were jingles sprinkled everywhere 
throughout the little house. Above the doors were 
rhymes of welcome and hospitality. On the chairs 
were invitations to sit and stay a while. In the 
kitchen, on the dishes and even the tiny tea kettle 
sang a funny line : 

“A cup of tea for thee and me, 

I’ll boil and sing quite merrily.” 

On the bookshelf was printed a warning that the 
children said was for Dorothy : 


22 The Apple Tree Inn 

“ Read not only with your eyes, 

Nor when your duty elsewhere lies.” 

In the smallest room, which flaunted a paper cov- 
ered with gorgeous roses climbing over a trellis, ran 
a picture moulding about as high as Lydia’s head, 
and on it had been placed a row of real Japanese dolls 
dressed as daintily as possible. And there were a 
whole family of dolls sitting demurely in one corner 
on the floor, and they all smiled in such a friendly 
way that Lydia’s heart was captivated immediately. 
And the funny part of it was that on the mother 
doll’s breast was pinned a paper on which was writ- 
ten this strange communication : 

“We’ve come to spend the summer, 

In the Inn of Apple Trees, 

And we’ll try in every manner, 

Our hostesses to please.” 

The other children beamed with delight as their 
belongings were revealed to them, but Mildred could 
not find anything suitable to her taste until she dis- 
covered in one of the little closets a china Mandarin 
whose head nodded approvingly every minute. A 


The Apple Tree Inn 23 

single touch removed his cap and lo, he was filled 
with candy, the very kind she enjoyed most. But 
around the cap was written the strangest rhyme of 
all: 

“To those who seek my sweets for self, 

And share not every candy small, 

Will find it only bitter pelf, 

They’d better touch me not at all.” 

“I don’t care what it says,” said Mildred stub- 
bornly, “ as long as I can have the candy that is in 
it.” 

But the kitchen ! Dorothy screamed with delight 
when she spied the tiny stove, in which a wood fire 
was burning briskly. The children immediately 
expressed desires for everything they loved to eat, 
until Dorothy compromised by promising to make 
some fudge that very minute. Then she stood and 
gazed at the prim array of shining tins upon the 
shelves, and the brown, blue and yellow dishes in 
the glass cupboard, and her bright eyes discovered 
many devices which would have pleased a much older 
and more experienced cook. A recipe book bound 
in scarlet lay on the well-scrubbed table, above 


24 The Apple Tree Inn 

which hung a tiny mirror on which was painted in 
white letters: 

“ A cook whose face is fair with smiles, 

Will never spoil her cake, 

So all through your kitchen trials, 

Pray watch the smiles, no chances take.” 

On one side of the kitchen a deep closet with 
shelves covered with fancy paper revealed groceries 
and goodies to be cooked when the fancy pleased 
the young maid. And in the midst of it all stood 
a chocolate cake on a pretty plate all ready for the 
afternoon tea. Now they really could invite 
grandma and Aunt Margaret, and the girls hurried 
to the umbrella room where they had found a wicker 
table and a tea-set all ready for a feast. There were 
dainty paper napkins and a fringed cloth with a 
border of bright flowers, and when the table was 
ready, with the caddy filled and all, Dorothy clasped 
her hands and gloated over it with every house- 
wifely instinct in her little being wide awake. 

“ It’s a perfect dream,” she sighed, “ and I shall 
never want to leave it. I can learn everything now, 
and may be sometime, if father should grow very 


The Apple Tree Inn 25 

poor, the family will appreciate my love of cooking, 
for I could help economise. ,, 

Out in the kitchen with a blue checked apron tied 
around her chubby neck, Lydia grated chocolate for 
the fudge, in the making of which each child was to 
have a share. 

“ I guess I’m going to love to cook too,” she 
dimpled, “ but I’ll have fairies help me bake my 
cakes 1 , and they’ll never burn or sink in the middle 
like Janet’s do. And I’ll take home some of this 
fudge for that dear beautiful butterfly who’s wait- 
ing to tell me something the fairies said. But I be- 
lieve I know what it came for, Dorothy,” running 
to the door, “ I know what the butterfly came for.” 

“ What? ” asked all the children at once. 

“To tell us what to say to Aunt Margaret for 
making this happy place.” 

“ But what ? Of course, we know we must say 
something.” 

“ Why, tell her we won’t frown in it or be cross 
in it or be sneaky or tell tales all summer. Because 
if we did it might all fly away and even our fairy 
godmother couldn’t bring it back.” 


26 The Apple Tree Inn 

“ Oh, foolish Lydia, it couldn’t fly away. The 
house is fastened down tight, and even the wind 
couldn’t blow it away.” 

But Lydia shook her head and pointed a prophesy- 
ing finger at Mildred. 

“ I believe,” she said solemnly, “ that if we are 
very bad in this house or fractious, that all these nice 
things would be taken away because we didn’t — 

didn’t ” she hesitated, blushing, because she 

could not remember the long word. 

“ Appreciate,” finished Bob. 

“ Now, Lydia, stop playing witch and go on grat- 
ing chocolate. You can do that better than you 
can talk, and we are all aching for some of Dor’s 
fudge.” 

And Bob slipped away to his studio to arrange his 
paints and brushes. He carefully examined the 
studies in water colour he found in the cabinet 
drawers, and he outlined one of them rather skil- 
fully for a boy. He stuck at his work, dreaming 
dreams of the great picture he would paint some day 
of a knight clad in white garments, whose “ bravery 
had won renown in the great world around.” Then 


The Apple Tree Inn 27 

presently a whiff of boiling chocolate disturbed his 
vision of Sir Launfal, and with that reminder of an- 
other pleasure still in store for him, he slipped into 
the kitchen, leaving on his easel his first attempt at 
art. 

With cheeks ablaze and face radiant with content, 
Dorothy was bending over the stove stirring 
vigorously a dark savoury mixture in an enamel 
saucepan. 

“ Oh, Bob,” she cried, “ did you ever know such a 
heavenly time ? Doesn't this smell delicious ? ” 
turning to drop a little of the chocolate into a cup of 
cold water which Lydia was holding, as busy in do- 
ing that simple thing as if she was superintending 
the cleaning of the entire house. 

“ We’re going to have it for tea, Bob,” she 
laughed happily, “ and I’m helping to make it be- 
cause it is something real to do, instead of making 
believe with doll dishes.” 

“ I’ve a mind to try to make some tea biscuit,” 
said Dorothy presently. “ But they ought to be 
served hot so I guess I’ll wait until after dinner and 
then coax Harriet for some more butter.” 


28 The Apple Tree Inn 

“ Oh, Dorothy ! ” suddenly exclaimed Mildred, 
pointing to a can on one of the upper shelves, 
“ there’s some maple syrup. Get it down, won't 
you ? And let’s have some hot cakes right now.” 

Bob looked at Dorothy and shook his head 
vigorously, 

“ No, indeed,” he spoke up sharply, “ no more 
maple syrup to-day, Mildred. Your face is streaked 
with candy now, and we don’t want to have you sick 
on our hands. Besides, Aunt Margaret will suppose 
that Dor and I have some sense.” 

“ I don’t care,” pouted Mildred, flinging down the 
cup she was holding, “ keep your old sugar, meany ! 
I’ll find something just as good.” And off she 
flounced into the other room, where the Mandarin 
nodded and smiled so cordially that she forgot to 
be cross, and smiled at him in sympathy. 

“ You silly thing,” she giggled, “ I hope you are 
full of candy down to your very toes. What a pity 
you cannot talk and tell us about your funny people ! 
No,” she called back to Dorothy, “ I’m not going to 
wipe those dishes. Can’t have any fudge ? I don’t 
care. I’ve got plenty of candy.” 


The Apple Tree Inn 29 

Then with her hands full of candy she tiptoed 
behind Bob’s screen to see what he had been doing 
so quietly. She fingered the pretty moist colours 
and played with the brushes, and finally began to 
draw broad streaks across the paper with them. 

“ Oh,” she whispered to herself, “ I can paint as 
well as Bob and it’s lots of fun to see things creep 
out under the brushes.” So absorbed had she be- 
come that she did not hear her brother come back to 
finish his work, and she did not know he was there 
until a sounding smack on one of her ears sent her 
spinning off the stool. 

“ You mean thing!” stormed Bob. “ I don’t 
care if you are hurt. What did you spoil my picture 
for?” 

Screaming with rage and pain Mildred went out 
to tell of Bob’s cruelty, but in the kitchen she en- 
countered such a surprise that she stood with her 
mouth wide open while the half-formed scream 
slipped down her throat again. 

The kitchen door had at that moment opened 
softly, and on the threshold stood a young sailor lad 
drenched with rain, which ran off his clothes and 


30 The Apple Tree Inn 

formed in little puddles on the floor. He pulled off 
his cap respectfully to Dorothy, who was quite too 
amazed to speak and too dignified to run away. 

“ I knocked, Miss,” apologetically, “ but some- 
body was making a row,” flashing a smile at Mil- 
dred, “ and you didn’t hear me.” 

The young fellow’s face was thin and dark and his 
eyes were brown and sparkled with merriment as he 
eyed the awe-stricken group before him. His suit 
of blue flannel was soaked and bedraggled, and he 
carried his boots in his hand along with a bundle 
wrapped in a red handkerchief. 

“ I noticed your sign, ‘ The Apple Tree Inn,’ and 
I thought I might get a dinner here. It’s too far to 
go back to the village and I’ve not had a mouthful 
since yesterday. I can pay you for it, Miss.” 

Dorothy managed finally to command voice 
enough to say weakly : 

“ But this is only a make-believe inn. I’m sure 
Aunt Margaret will be glad to give you a dinner 
if you’ll go to the house. It’s just beyond the 
orchard.” 

“ I know that,” he said. “ I’ve been prowling 


The Apple Tree Inn 31 

around here all day. There’s a reason why I don’t 
want to go to the house, but I hoped you might ” 

He stopped suddenly and stooped to pick up his 
bundle he had dropped so wearily. 

“ Oh, wait a minute,” cried Dorothy impulsively, 
“ maybe I can find you something to eat. I don’t 
know very much about cooking, but ” 

“ You can make hot cakes,” whispered Mildred 
from behind the door of the umbrella room where 
she and Lydia had sought refuge from the stranger, 
“ and there’s that maple syrup.” 

“ The very thing. And there’s still some butter. 
Maybe you know how to mix hot cakes yourself,” 
Dorothy said shyly to the sailor. 

“ Indeed, I do, and if you’ll give me leave I’ll 
have them frying on the griddle in a jiffy.” 

“ Dorothy,” said Bob suddenly from the door- 
way, “ do you think Aunt Margaret would like to 
have you do this ? ” 

“ Bless me,” remarked the sailor brightly, “ here’s 
the man of the house. I’m making myself at home 
in your kitchen. But the little lady here has got a 
heart in her and I’m grateful enough to her. I don’t 


32 The Apple Tree Inn 

mind saying to you that I’m not a bad fellow, only 
there has been a mistake made and I’m trying to hide 
myself for a few days.” 

But Bob still demurred : 

“ I’m sure Aunt Margaret will be angry when she 
knows.” 

The sailor, who had deftly mixed the flour, milk 
and eggs Dorothy had brought him, saluted Bob 
with the cake turner and said gravely, as he dropped 
the mixture carefully on the griddle : 

“ I’ll have to trust to your honour not to betray a 
fellow who has asked refuge at your hands. Oh,” 
he went on appealingly, “ I beg all of you not to 
inform on me. You’ll never be sorry you helped 
me when you know the truth. You may be in a fix 
yourself some day and be glad to trust children with 
your life.” 

“ Life ! ” exclaimed Bob breathlessly, “ what do 
you mean ? ” as the sailor turned back to the cakes 
which he tossed skilfully over and over as they 
browned. 

“ You see, I’m a deserter. I ran away from my 
ship. In another day I can reach the city where my 


The Apple Tree Inn 33 

friends are and then I’ll be safe. That is why I ask 
you to give me a chance to get away.” 

The children looked at one another doubtfully. 
How strange it was to have someone ask them for 
help and to trust to their honour not to betray a 
guest. 

“ There won’t any of us tell,” spoke up Doro- 
thy suddenly. “ We are only too glad to do some- 
thing for somebody. But you’d better eat your 
cakes while they are hot. We can talk afterwards.” 

“ You see on shipboard,” he explained, as he ate 
his cakes with keen enjoyment, never suspecting that 
the young audience gasped in amazement at the flood 
of syrup with which he deluged his plate, “ a sailor 
does not have a chance to defend himself against an 
officer, and when anything goes wrong the blue- 
jackets have to swallow rough talk and accusations 
without saying a word. And if you’re thinking of 
being a sailor, young fellow, just let me say, don’t 
run away to sea. That’s what I did, and now I’m 
running home again.” 

" Oh,” cried Dorothy in sudden alarm, “ here 
comes Koto. Whatever shall we do ? ” 


34 The Apple Tree Inn 

At that minute the rat-tat of the knocker echoed 
through the little house and the sailor sprang to his 
feet in an instant. He caught up his cap and bundle 
and without a word slipped out of the kitchen, and 
was gone before anyone had stirred. 

“ Oh, Bob, please let Koto in. I’m scared to 
pieces,” panted Dorothy, who scuttled the dishes 
and frying pan into the closet before the door was 
opened. The children jumped up and giggled with 
excitement and when Koto stepped inside they 
danced around him wildly. 

“ Madame wishes all of you to return to the house, 
Missie. I’m to take the little lady while the rest 
follow me immediately.” 

“ Is it dinner time?” Dorothy tried to ask com- 
posedly. 

“ Not yet, but occurrences make it necessary for 
you to come.” 

And so they went into the rain, each one glancing 
apprehensively into the orchard, and wondering if 
the boy with the brown eyes and pleasant face were 
watching them from behind the wood pile and hop- 
ing he could trust them. 


CHAPTER III 


THE TRUST 

T HE children found the house all bustle and 
confusion, and in the dining-room three men 
in uniform were talking eagerly to Aunt Margaret. 
They stood with their backs to the fire and slyly 
watched Harriet's preparations for dinner, and 
as she hurried in and out, an occasional whiff of 
something appetising came floating in from the 
kitchen. 

“ Here they are at last," exclaimed Aunt Margaret 
with a sigh of relief. “ I'm sorry to have to call you 
one minute sooner than necessary, but these gentle- 
men, who are in a hurry, wanted to question you 
about a sailor boy who has been seen hanging 
around the place. You see," she explained gently, 
“ he is a very naughty thief and they have come to 
arrest him." 

The children stood stricken with amazement, but 
none of them moved their eyes from the sun-tanned 


35 


36 The Trust 

faces of the officers, while over each little face crept 
a look of fear. 

“ Do they know what a sailor is? ” asked one of 
the men gruffly. 

“ Oh, yes. Their father is a ship’s surgeon and 
their grandfather was a sea captain many years ago, 
but they are surprised to find you here. Perhaps I 
should not have mentioned that you have come to 
arrest someone. Their tongues will loosen after 
dinner, however. Yes, Koto, we will come at once. 
You will be glad, gentlemen, that dinner is served 
at last.” 

“You see,” explained one of the officers kindly 
to the children, “ our vessel put into the bay two 
days ago to harbour from the storm, and the morn- 
ing after, the fog was so heavy that we laid to for 
another day. Then it was that the captain discov- 
ered that his chest had been tampered with and a 
box of money stolen. They at once suspected a youth 
who had been seen hanging around the cabin. He 
was accused, his kit closely examined to see if the 
money could be found. The accusation infuriated 
the fellow, who was really a very nice boy, and he 


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37 

up and slipped away from the vessel. Of course, 
we followed him as soon as he was missed. We 
found a boat he had used down here on the beach 
and we believe he is hiding somewhere about this 
place. We have stationed men in different places 
and they are to blow whistles if they see him.” 

Dorothy wrung her hands under the table and 
kept her eyes on her plate. Her face was so pale that 
Aunt Margaret watched her narrowly. Bob scowled 
openly at the officers and wondered if the sailor 
really had that money in the dirty bundle. Lydia 
quivered with suppressed excitement; but Mildred 
quietly ate her dinner, and when Koto was clearing 
the table for dessert the child pushed back her chair 
and asked to be excused. 

“ Why, Mildred,” said Aunt Margaret, “ we 
are going to have your favourite pudding for des- 
sert.” 

Mildred blushed and stammered incoherently, and 
Aunt Margaret was puzzled at her behaviour. 

“ Of course, you may go, my dear. Harriet will 
save you some of the pudding for your tea.” 

Mildred slipped quickly into the kitchen and went 


38 The Trust 

direct to Harriet, who was flurried and upset by 
the unexpected guests and the news that a thief had 
been prowling around the place. 

“ Harriet, will you give me a piece of that chicken 
and some bread and butter to take to the cottage 
this afternoon ? ” 

“ For goodness sake, haven’t you had enough to 
eat at the table? ” 

“Yes, but I want to take some to the Inn,” 
coaxed the child. 

“ No, Miss, not a bit of chicken do you get to 
take away. And what’s more you’re not going 
back there alone with that dangerous man 
about.” 

“ I’m just going to get something,” she replied, 
running out into the hall for her cloak, “ and I won’t 
be a minute.” 

“ I’ll tell your aunt on you,” called Harriet from 
the doorway as Mildred scurried down the gravel 
path into the Inn, leaving the door open in her ex- 
citement. She skipped to the table and half emptied 
the Mandarin of his store of candy, and catching up 
one of the paper napkins from the tea table hastily 


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39 

wrapped the sweets in it. Then tiptoeing- to the 
shed beyond the kitchen she called breathlessly: 

“ Mr. Sailor, where are you ? Quick ! ” Slowly 
from behind the woodpile rose the dark head, 
and the pleasant face looked anxiously at the 
child. 

“ Quick ! ” she said, handing him the package. 
“ It’s just some candy, but Harriet wouldn’t give 
me any chicken, and the men have come to catch 
you. They’re eating their dinner now.” 

“ Oh, they’ve come, have they? ” his face growing 
pale and hard. “ They’ll never take me alive, 
though,” he muttered through his teeth. “ I’m 
obliged, Miss, for the candy and the warning, but I 
can wait here safe enough,” and he quickly disap- 
peared as if by magic when a sound near by startled 
him. 

Mildred slipped into the kitchen and closed the 
door and was just snipping off a piece of the fudge 
which had been cooling on the window sill, when a 
gruff voice behind her made her jump almost out of 
her boots. She looked over her shoulder fearfully 
and there stood one of the strangers from the house. 


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40 

He had also excused himself and had followed the 
child suspiciously to the Inn. 

“ Thought Td come over and see your baby 
house,” he said eyeing the child keenly. “ It’s a 
regular little fairy house, sure, isn’t it? ” he went on, 
opening closet doors and peering behind the stove. 
He peeped out into the shed and muttered something 
under his breath, while Mildred stood aghast with 
the piece of fudge in her fingers, and watched him 
with round-eyed wonder. 

“ Are the other men coming, too ? ” she asked as 
he sat himself down in the largest chair and made 
himself comfortable. 

“ They are coming later,” he answered shortly, 
and began to read the verses which confronted him 
everywhere. “ Who wrote all those things ? ” he 
questioned, as Mildred stood fingering her apron 
nervously and wondering why he stayed. 

“ Aunt Margaret and Koto. If we learn them 
that way, we’ll never forget what they say,” she 
explained. “ That one on the Mandarin is for me 
because I’m selfish about candy and never want to 
divide.’' 


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4i 


“ Indeed, and what does it say? ” 

Mildred read it to him, and then shyly she said: 

“ I don’t know what pelf means, but I think it’s a 
bitter pill to take when the candy makes you sick.” 

The man smiled. “ How long have you been 
here?” 

“We came last night and we felt so bad when we 
saw the rain this morning. But after all, Aunt 
Margaret gave us this house and we didn’t care at 
all about the weather then.” 

“ It’s most too soon for you to have visitors,” 
said the man. 

“ I don’t suppose anyone would go out on such 
a day like this, even to see such a pretty house.” 

“ Oh, but we have had a visitor,” she began and 
then stopped suddenly, covered with confusion. 

“Yes, I knew you had. But who was it?” 

“Oh, Koto,” answered Mildred glibly. 

“ Does he ever go barefooted ? ” asked the man, 
cunningly. 

“ Oh, I don’t know,” and she ran to open the door 
for the procession that she saw coming along the 
path. 


42 The Trust 

Aunt Margaret came first with the two girls and 
the officers followed closely behind. In the rear, 
at a respectful distance, came Koto, with a covered 
basket which he carried around to the kitchen door. 

“ What have you there ? ” asked the first officer, 
who was peeping into the shed again. 

“ Something for the tea this afternoon. The 
young ladies entertain to-day.” 

“Oh! Do you ever go barefooted? ” pointing 
to the muddy tracks on the shed floor. 

Koto drew himself up stiffly. “ I do. not,” he an- 
swered coldly. The man nodded and went back into 
the kitchen, and Koto, catching up the broom that 
stood in the corner of the shed, swept away the mud 
and arranged the wood more neatly in one corner 
where it had become awry. 

“ Stupid men,” he said aloud. “ I’d help the boy 
to get away if I knew where he was, and I’d give him 
this basket, too, for I happen to know that it has 
clothes in it as well as food.” 

“ I have every reason to believe, Madam,” said 
the first officer to Aunt Margaret, who looked a 
little annoyed at the way the men were stamping 


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43 

about the tiny rooms, “ that the sailor has been here 
this morning. And while I don’t believe he is 
here now, we will watch the place pretty closely. 
We’ll have to move that wood pile out yonder, for 
it is plenty high enough for the boy to hide behind.” 

“ I think it is rather a shame to spoil the children’s 
games this afternoon,” said Aunt Margaret, “ and 
I must ask you to station your men where the chil- 
dren will not see them. Of course, Koto will assist 
you in moving the wood, and I trust you will be 
convinced that there is no one concealed anywhere 
about the Inn.” 

“ Very well. We will have the wood moved at 
once.” And beckoning to the other officers he left 
the room. And the children, white with fear and 
apprehension, followed them to the kitchen, hold- 
ing each other’s hands for mutual encouragement. 

Koto was still arranging the wood when the of- 
ficers brusquely ordered him to toss it down to see 
if anyone were behind it. 

“ There is no one there,” said Koto testily. “ I 

\ 

have just tidied the shed and put the wood in order.” 

“ But I intend to see,” persisted the man. 


44 


The Trust 


“ You must excuse me,” said Koto politely, “ I’m 
too busy to play with a wood pile.” 

“You insolent dog!” blustered the man, ap- 
proaching Koto threateningly. But before he could 
touch the wily Japanese, who had clutched the 
broom a little more firmly, a shrill whistle sounded 
from the direction of the barn. Away ran all the 
men as fast as their size and age would permit, and 
Koto smiled a queer little smile and stepped into the 
house to ask for further orders. 

“ It’s too bad, children,” Aunt Margaret was say- 
ing, “ but I really think you had all better go back 
to the house and wait until this trouble is over.” 

“ I will remain and defend the children,” volun- 
teered Koto respectfully. 

“ Oh, very well. I shall feel greatly relieved. 
Grandma and I shall be back at four o’clock, and I 
hope we shall be able to bring sunshine with us, for 
the clouds are rapidly breaking away and the rain 
has stopped at last.” 

Presently Bob came running in, rosy-faced and 
breathless, and he whispered to Dorothy out in the 
kitchen that he had blown a whistle he had found in 


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45 

the barn and then had crept under the straw and 
hid. “ When the men came they couldn’t find any- 
body and they swore awfully. Then they went off 
up the road, and I skipped.” 

Dorothy gave him a rapturous hug. “ You clever 
boy,” she said softly. “ Why, that officer was just 
beginning to row with Koto when he heard you 
blowing.” 

“ How now, young people,” said Koto cheerfully, 
interrupting their confidences ; “ what do you say 
to doing some paper work for an hour ? I have quite 
a lot of it stored away in the kitchen closet and a 
pot of paste as well. Perhaps Master Bob will per- 
mit us to use some of his water colours and we’ll 
make some favours for the tea table.” 

So they spread some papers on the floor to catch 
the clippings, and they all sat cross-legged in a 
circle, watching Koto’s slender yellow fingers cut 
and pinch and paste the pretty crepe paper. 

“ First of all we’ll make a set of apple blossom 
cups to hold the bonbons Miss Dorothy cooked this 
morning, and then I’ll show you how to cut them and 
I will paint and paste while you do that.” 


46 The Trust 

Then he cut out an apple blossom pattern and 
smoothed and pressed the paper until it curled like 
the petals of the real flower. A bit of heavy green 
paper was pasted underneath to form the dainty 
calyx and to hold the whole in shape. Some tiny 
slivers of yellow made the flower’s golden heart, 
and then he deftly tinted the petals with Bob’s 
paints, until they seemed almost as fresh and rosy 
as the blossoms on the trees outside in the orchard. 
It looked so pretty when Dorothy filled it with 
fudge and placed it on the table that he had to 
promise to make enough so that -each one should 
have a blossom cup. And as they cut and pasted 
busily Koto told them about the fairy butterfly, and 
said he had found the cocoon long ago and had 
saved it very carefully and only this morning he 
had discovered that it had hatched and was sailing 
around his room “ and I thought it would do to 
play with for a little while. And when no one 
was looking I hid him in the flowers on the 
table.” 

“ And I saw him first, because I’m always looking 
for fairies and I hoped he was one,” said Lydia 


The Trust 


47 

sorrowfully. “ I don’t believe I ever will find a real 
one, but I know some people do.” 

“ Of course,” assured Koto, smiling mischiev- 
ously; “but you have to do certain things before 
you can see them, you know.” 

“What do you have to do?” 

“ Well,” mysteriously, “ you have to send them 
word that you really want to see them, because they 
are very sensitive and won’t go where people do not 
believe in them.” 

“ Do you send a telegram ? ” asked Mildred, 
flourishing a paint brush. 

“ Yes, a fairy telegram. The wind takes them, 
you know, because it generally passes swiftly 
through the streets in fairyland, and so it is safe 
to carry a message because it never talks on the 
way, you know.” 

“ But do you have to pay the wind just as you do 
a messenger in uniform? How do you do that?” 

“ Have you ever noticed how the wind loves to 
blow papers along the street and turns and twists 
and flutters them and dashes them headlong into 
something? Well, you just take some bits of paper 


48 The Trust 

and hold them up high in both hands, then open 
your fingers slowly and let the wind take the scraps 
when it come blowing along.” 

“ Then what do you say? ” asked Lydia breath- 
lessly. 

“ * Listen wind and bear a line, 

To fairyland for me. 

Bid the fairies come to dine, 

And drink a cup of fragrant tea/ 

“ Then after you brew the tea of scarlet moss 
flowers, they will smell it far away and will come 
clamouring at your window.” 

Mildred suddenly looked over her shoulder at the 
windows, while Lydia clasped her little hands and 
said soberly : 

“ Oh, Dorothy, if you will learn to cook that kind 
of tea and the fairies will come, I’ll never sasperate 
you any more.” 

“ Koto would have to do it,” said Dorothy ; 
“ maybe he will sometime.” 

“ Did you ever hear of the apple blossom fairy? ” 
said Koto suddenly. 

“ Oh, no ; tell us about it,” they all cried. 


The Trust 


49 

“ Yes, but you must work every minute, if we are 
to have the paper cups ready in time. 

“ In my country,” he went on, “ the apple trees 
are not as large as yours, but they have many more 
blossoms and very little fruit. We care only to 
feast our eyes on the beautiful flowers and not for 
the taste of the knobby apples. They say, and the 
legend comes all the way down from our ancestors, 
that in every apple tree lives a fairy, who with her 
many assistants, conducts the toilet of the apple 
blossoms every morning. Their faces are bathed in 
silvery dew, then each petal is painted with dainty 
paint to match the color of the rosy dawn. Nothing, 
you know, in nature is ever wasted, not even the 
colours of the flowers, so when a blossom withers 
and turns as brown as the earth from which it came 
and which it must match in order to enter it again, 
its colours are then used in other ways, in flowers 
perhaps, or sunsets- or rainbows. The apple tree 
fairy loved the dawn so that she always painted the 
white petals just that colour, so that it would not be 
used for anything else. And the reason they never 
have any more colour is because there is no more 


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50 

time to paint them before the sun rises. For, you 
know, each flower must be ready for the reception 
of their king, the sun, who salutes every little blos- 
som, no matter how humble it is. 

“ Apple blossoms have a song they sing among 
themselves, and every day you might hear their 
queer rustling music if you listened : 

“ ‘ Oh, honourable sun, we bow to thee, 

And greet thy gracious majesty, 

We simple flowers, shy and pale, 

Blush only when you gently hail. 

But after you kiss each fragrant leaf, 

All day we seem a rosy wreath.’ 

“ ‘ The flowers . of the dawn/ we call them. 
Now, I think, these cups are nearly ready. Do you 
like them, little folks ? ” And Koto pointed to the 
row of pretty flowers. 

“ Oh,” cried the children rapturously, “ they are 
the most beautiful things, and we will make some 
of them for our Sunday school fair when we go 
home. Nobody else will know how to do them, and 
we thank you, Koto,” Dorothy added gratefully, 
“ for doing them for us.” 


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5i 

“ And now shall we not tidy up a bit and get out 
the tea things, as it is getting on to the hour, 
missie? ” 

So the fire was lit again and the sticky dishes were 
washed and put away and Koto was too polite to 
make any remarks about them. The chocolate cake 
was placed in the centre of the table with the apple 
blossom cups in a circle around it. Koto folded the 
napkins to look like tiny fans, and he placed one on 
each plate with a spray of real flowers from the 
orchard. Then he arranged the chairs sociably 
around the table and deftly fashioned out of a paper 
napkin a dainty cap for Dorothy, who was to pour 
tea and be the matron of the house. And when he 
heard she desired to serve biscuit for tea he oblig- 
ingly measured the flour for her so that no mistake 
would be made, and Dorothy stirred and rolled while 
he cut the dough into little hearts and fans and 
pricked them with a fork. When at last they were 
popped into the oven, the children daren’t even whis- 
per for fear the brownies in the stove would sit on the 
biscuit just to make them heavy. And, oh! when 
they were finally taken out and were so brown and 


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52 

crumbly, Dorothy danced with delight over her 
success. 

“ You were so good/’ she said to Koto. “ I can 
do it alone next time. And I smiled every time 
I looked into that glass/’ pointing to the tiny mirror 
over the kitchen table. 

Koto hurried to the house to fetch some more 
butter, for biscuit are like hot cakes and need so 
much butter, just as Aunt Margaret and grandma 
lifted the knocker on the front door. He was back 
again by the time they had taken off their things. 
When the butter dish had been placed on the table 
he announced that tea was ready. 

There never had been such an afternoon tea be- 
fore. Each of the children did something toward 
the entertainment of the guests. Lydia sang an odd 
little song about hopping birds, and Mildred spoke 
an awesome piece about looking out for goblins. 
Dorothy recited a dramatic poem about the owl and 
the pussy cat going to sea, and Bob whistled a shrill 
solo and trilled so merrily that even Koto softly 
clapped his hands out in the kitchen. Grandma and 
Aunt Margaret had such an enjoyable time that they 


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53 

hated to go home, and they stayed until it was nearly 
dark, and there was scarcely time to dress for supper. 
But before the house was closed for the night, the 
children secretly slipped to the kitchen door and 
looked out at the wood pile, which did not seem to 
have been disturbed. But the mysterious basket 
Koto had brought had entirely disappeared. 


CHAPTER IV 


THE MYSTERIOUS CABINET 

T HE next morning was so bright and clear 
that the children could scarcely wait to 
finish breakfast before they raced away through the 
orchard, glistening with dew and sunshine, to the 
Inn, to see if the truant sailor was still hidden be- 
hind the woodpile. But there were no traces of him 
to be found, and they were wofully disappointed 
not to have another glimpse of him. 

Of course there were little duties to be performed 
in the tiny house, and Dorothy, enveloped in a volu- 
minous blue apron, and with a gay cap fastened over 
her pretty brown hair, began to carefully arrange 
and dust the little rooms. The feather duster flirted 
its red plumes delightfully, and once Dorothy shook 
it defiantly at a saucy robin who was lilting joyously 
in a nearby apple tree. The robin sang in the tree, 
and Dorothy carolled happily in the house, and no 
one could have told which heart was the gayer or 


54 


The Mysterious Cabinet 55 

more contented. The children had taken the doll 
family for a walk and Bob was painting industri- 
ously behind his curious screen. 

“ You may dust all around me, Dor,” he said, 
“ but don’t touch the studio. Besides, dust, you 
know, ages things and makes them artistic.” 

“ Yes, and it makes sneezes as well, and is untidy, 
too,” the practical Dorothy retorted. 

Now it happened while Dorothy was whisking 
her duster over the quaint, inlaid cabinet, whose tiny 
doors were studded with small brass nails, she sud- 
denly remembered what Aunt Margaret had said 
about its being her very own, and was only to be 
opened when she was quite alone in the Inn. Its 
filigree key hung on the housewifely bunch which 
dangled at her belt, and after listening to hear if 
Bob was moving about, she slipped it noiselessly 
into the lock and turned it with unnecessary care, 
for Bob was absorbed in mixing colours and did not 
notice or even remember Dorothy’s presence in the 
house. 

Imagine her surprise when she found the interior 
lined with small mirrors set at different angles and 


56 The Mysterious Cabinet 

which reflected her eager little face a dozen different 
times. Even the studded doors contained a round 
glass set in curious metal, and Dorothy was very 
disappointed to find nothing at all in the cabi- 
net when she had expected it to reveal untold 
treasures. 

She was about to close the door when the gleam 
of a wee brass knob at the side of the largest mirror 
caught her eye, and touching it gently, she thrilled 
with delight when the glass immediately sprang 
back, disclosing a sandalwood box delicately carved 
and sweet with its own faint odour. 

“ Oh ! ” and she drew her breath in ecstasy as she 
looked at the lovely box. “ How like a story book, 
and what do you suppose is in it ? ” 

As she slowly pressed the spring she hovered over 
it with cheeks aflame and eyes flashing with antici- 
pation. The feather duster which had been tucked 
under her arm fell with a thump to the floor and 
Dorothy, too eager to seek the comfort of a chair 
in which to examine her treasure, sat down beside 
the duster and opened the mysterious box. A small 
package wrapped in silver paper lay within it and 


The Mysterious Cabinet 57 

Dorothy removed it as carefully as if she was un- 
wrapping a precious jewel. When the last bit of 
paper had been laid aside she found she was holding 
a small silk bag of curious shape and texture. She 
slipped her fingers cautiously into its unknown 
depths and pulled out a fine gold chain, so delicate 
that it seemed like a single gleaming thread. At- 
tached to the chain was a curious ornament of jade, 
the dull green stone so precious to the heart of every 
Japanese. 

“ How beautiful it is ! ” exclaimed the delighted 
girl, as she ran to the kitchen to peep in the small 
mirror hanging over the spotless table. “ I shall 
wear it under my dress and have it for a talisman. 
I wonder why Aunt Margaret did not keep it for 
my birthday. But of course, I would rather have 
it now.” 

When she had admired the ornament to her heart’s 
content, she slipped it under her dress and returned 
to the other room, and was astonished to find Koto 
peering eagerly into the cabinet. He sprang to 
his feet in confusion and apologised for his 
curiosity. 


58 The Mysterious Cabinet 

“ I have heard of this cabinet, Miss Dorothy, and 
seeing it open took the liberty of looking in it. I 
did not mean to be offensively prying, but with your 
permission, sometime, I would like to examine it 
for something which I believe is hidden in it.” 

“ Why, I’ve just found this,” showing the little 
chain and bag ; “ and the box was hidden in that 
little cubby-hole back there.” 

Koto looked at her treasures closely, but shook 
his head and turned away from the cabinet, which 
Dorothy quickly closed and locked. 

“ How did you know about it ? ” she asked as she 
picked up the feather duster. 

“ We had one something like it at home and it 
was secretly removed from the pal — house, I mean, 
and I have searched the whole of Japan to find it, 
because of certain papers it contained.” 

“ Can this be it ? ” the girl asked in amazement. 
“ How did Aunt Margaret get it? ” 

“ Your honourable grandfather bought it in Tokio, 
but did not know its history. It was kept in the 
attic many years until Madam placed it here for 
you. She allowed me to look at it once, but we 


♦ The Mysterious Cabinet 59 

decided it could not be the same one.” Then dis- 
missing the subject with an elaborate bow and a 
wave of his hands, he asked brightly: 

“ Would you and Master Bob like to row over to 
the island to prospect for the location for the camp 
we are to occupy next month.” 

The magic word “ camp ” penetrated even Bob’s 
absorbed attention, and with a joyful “ hurrah ” he 
ran out from behind the screen exclaiming: 

“ Did Aunt Margaret say we might go? Has the 
boat been caulked? and had we better take some 
candles to explore the cave?” 

“ And I’ll carry this lovely Japanese parasol I’ve 
found in the closet, and we will make a pretty pic- 
ture on the water, won’t we? ” and Dorothy scurried 
happily about, finishing the work conscientiously be- 
fore she would go off with the others. 

In less time than it takes to tell it, the trio were 
hurrying across the garden and through the meadow 
beyond which the little river, like a silvery ribbon, 
slipped leisurely along on its way to join the blue 
waters of the bay. About a quarter of a mile below, 
it spread out a broad shallow arm, in the midst of 


60 The Mysterious Cabinet 

which lay a small island covered with trees and 
underbrush. Under a heap of stones in the centre 
of the island Bob had discovered a cave where all 
of their shovels and buckets and the Swiss Family 
Robinson’s raft had been stored for the winter. 

“ Madam, your aunt,” began Koto, as he slowly 
rowed along and feathered the oars for Bob’s sat- 
isfaction and approval, “ wishes us to return by 
noon, and as it is just ten o’clock, we have two 
hours to plan for the camp which she proposes to 
establish on Bird Island. She has permitted me to 
tell you about it, as I am to erect the tents and 
make things comfortable. It will not be ready of 
course until the weather permits of sleeping out of 
doors, but we thought that Master Bob might be 
willing to stay here with me a few days to assist 
in clearing the site.” 

“ I’d like to help,” said Bob slowly, “ but I don’t 
want to sleep out of doors.” 

Koto looked surprised, but his almond-shaped 
eyes twinkled mischievously. 

“ Why,” he remonstrated, “ we’ll have the cosiest 
kind of a shakedown and we’ll live in it until the 


The Mysterious Cabinet 61 

camp is completed. Of course, we will go back for 
dinners, but breakfasts and suppers we can manage 
here. There is no way of learning woodcraft except 
by living in the midst of it, and the island is as safe 
as your own room, Master Bob.” 

Bob said nothing, but he fumbled busily with the 
tiller ropes, and Koto eyed his cast-down face nar- 
rowly. But Dorothy wriggled with delight under 
her gay paper umbrella and chattered breathlessly 
about the thousand things they could play in the 
woods all day. 

“ Oh, Koto, shall we have a regular camp fire 
and a swinging kettle on crossed sticks? And can 
we roast apples and corn in the ashes? And shall 
we have balsam boughs to sleep on? We can make 
believe we are first settlers and can discover things, 
maybe a buried treasure somewhere. And Bob, 
while you and Koto are getting things ready, we 
will row out and visit you and bring you goodies 
every day. Oh,” she sighed, “ Aunt Margaret cer- 
tainly understands children and knows what a good 
time is.” 

The children rummaged in the cave and brought 


62 The Mysterious Cabinet 

out all sorts of playthings and paraphernalia belong- 
ing to the familiar Robinsons, whose adventures 
have formed the basis of make-believes for at least 
three generations of young folks. 

“ We couldn’t go on playing the same thing for- 
ever, you know, Bob,” Dorothy explained as she 
dug vigorously in the sand of the snowy beach; 
“ we had to have a change, and camping out is the 
most fun of anything I can think of.” 

“ Humph,” replied Bob thoughtfully; “ I am not 
so keen to stay out of doors at night in the woods. 
Who knows what might be hiding among the trees ? 
Why, tramps could swim across the river and rob 
us in our beds.” 

“ Pooh! Who’s afraid? Koto will be here and 
we’ll bring Aunt Margaret’s dog. Maybe we can 
have a gun, too, to defend ourselves. . If you are 
always going to be afraid and spoil things you’ll 
not amount to much when you get to be a man. 
No real man is ever afraid of anything. There’s 
something in them that grows bravery; father said 
so, and you’d better let yours begin to sprout pretty 
soon or you’ll always be a coward. We girls are 


The Mysterious Cabinet 63 

not afraid of the woods, and Aunt Margaret will 
take care of Lydia at night.” 

Bob kicked the sand viciously with the toe of his 
boot and said hotly : “ I hate like thunder to be 

called a coward, but Lm not going to stay out here 
like a savage, when I can stay at home with grandma. 
Hello, there’s Koto calling us. Let’s run along the 
beach.” And away they went, Bob speeding far 
ahead of Dorothy, who pounded heavily after her 
fleet-footed brother. 

“ Come softly,” called Koto from an old seat 
beneath a tangle of vines and bushes ; “ I want to 
show you something.” Then motioning the children 
to sit beside him, he raised to his lips a long, curious- 
looking pipe, which he had deftly fashioned from 
a piece of reed, and he blew through it several 
times. 

“ Now watch the clearing opposite and see the 
birds gather to take part in our concert. Don’t 
move or speak, either of you.” 

Then he began to play soft, weird notes upon his 
crude pipe, which trilled up and down in the oddest 
way. In a few minutes Dorothy recognised the call 


64 The Mysterious Cabinet 

of the wood thrush, which he was piping sweetly, 
even finishing with the graceful turn of two short 
notes, like a genuine feathered songster. Again 
and again he repeated the clear notes, first softly, 
then loudly, and presently an answering call came 
floating from the thicket. Koto replied faintly. 
Suddenly there was a whirr of wings and a white- 
throated thrush lit on a branch opposite the group 
and eyed them with a saucy cocked head. Koto 
piped clearly and patiently, and presently the pretty 
brown bird swelled its little throat and poured 
forth the sweetest song to be heard among the 
feathered minstrels. 

Dorothy clasped her hands in delight and looked 
in wonder at Koto, as the thrush swayed back and 
forth trilling defiance at the unseen singer, and 
presently, with a flirt of his tail, he darted away to 
tell the other inmates of the wood of the unheard of 
intrusion. 

“ Hush,” he whispered, when Bob attempted to 
speak ; “ wait ; ” and he piped another call, whose 
first long note was followed by a perfect riot of 
melody. Quickly from the woods came a gay 


The Mysterious Cabinet 65 

spink-spank, and a happy bob-o-link chirruped 
brightly to his unseen brother. 

“ How beautiful ! ” whispered Dorothy. “ Where 
did you learn that music, Koto? ” 

But Koto shook his head and went on playing 
patiently. Presently the deep song of the meadow 
lark rang out clear and true from the simple pipe, 
and away beyond the clearing, almost to the beach, 
they heard the quick notes of an eager response to 
Koto’s call. 

“ There ! ” he exclaimed suddenly, slipping the 
pipe into his pocket. “ We’ll make friends with the 
wood folk, and when we really live among them 
they will serenade us cheerfully. But we had better 
be running down to the boat, as it is nearly twelve 
o’clock.” 

Koto allowed Bob to row nearly all the way back, 
tO' the boy’s delight, and he even showed him the 
long, slow, even stroke that makes rowing an act of 
grace as well as of skill and strength. 

“ We’ll have a canoe for rowing our errands to 
and from the island,” said Koto ; “ and you’ll have 
to paddle it yourself, Master Bob. Madam, your 


66 The Mysterious Cabinet 

aunt, wishes you to learn many such things this 
summer, as they belong to a boy’s ‘ growing ’ and 
help him to learn to control himself. Self-depend- 
ence and reliance are founded on ability to control 
and manage, and I think such things come to be a 
habit if one only has the right start. Simple pluck 
comes from practice and no man was ever brave until 
he was tested and tried.” 

Bob looked suspiciously at Koto, wondering if 
Aunt Margaret had “ peached,” but the Japanese 
was thoughtfully watching the oars as Bob tried to 
pull alike on each of them. 

“ Of course, you understand about such things,” 
went on Koto, “ as your father is a remarkably 
plucky man, and your honourable grandfather went 
down in his ship with his cap raised to salute the 
grim death awaiting him and his crew, who were 
gathered about him. A boy with such men back of 
him ought to develop a character to be proud of.” 

Oh, yes, Bob understood the tiny lecture, but no 
one had ever spoken in such a way before of these 
things so vital to a boy’s life, and he looked at Koto 
with a newborn respect, for a man who could make 


The Mysterious Cabinet 67 

paper flowers and play bird music on a reed pipe, 
and then talk about hard problems as if lie could 
half unravel the knots. 

“I don’t think I’d mind speaking to him about 
things somehow, ’cause he won’t flare up as father 
does and think I ought to understand without any 
explaining. Maybe if I could get a good start while 
I’m away from home father would let up on me a 
little.” 

Bob fastened the boat securely to the little landing 
place, and when he overtook the others he heard 
Dorothy say: 

“ I don’t know how to thank you for our lovely 
time to-day, Koto, and I thought we might be able 
to do something for you in return.” 

Koto looked at her strangely and bowing courte- 
ously, said kindly: 

“ I’m glad to make you happy, Miss Dorothy, 
and I’m repaid by your appreciation. Oh, here are 
the little ladies waiting for us at the garden gate. 
Perhaps another time they may be permitted to 
accompany us. Who knows, we may even find 
fairies on the island for Miss Lydia, who discovered 


68 The Mysterious Cabinet 

my butterfly first of all. Madam could not spare 
them to-day.” But he did not add that Aunt Mar- 
garet was trying to gratify Dorothy’s wish to have 
a good time by herself, away from the little girls, 
whose behaviour was to be copied from their older 
sister. Dorothy’s pathetic expression, “ It gets to 
be a strain,” went straight to Aunt Margaret’s 
heart, and knowing what it meant for a girl to be 
real, understood and planned pleasant things for her 
reluctantly model niece. 


CHAPTER V 


THE GENIE OF THE SILVERY MIST 

I T all came about through Lydia trying to send 
a telegram to fairyland with bits of pretty 
pink paper, as Koto had suggested. A brisk wind 
had caught them from her little hands, turning and 
twisting them playfully until they fluttered out of 
sight beyond the old stone wall. Lydia watched them 
until the last piece had been blown away, then ran 
into the Inn to tell Dorothy that the message was 
gone, and the wind was flying on its way to de- 
liver it. 

Dorothy was in the kitchen, elbow deep in the 
flour, with which the table was also profusely 
sprinkled. The scarlet cookbook was propped up 
against a water pitcher and Dorothy was saying 
over and over again, “ One quart of flour, two 
teaspoonfuls of baking powder, one-half teaspoon- 
ful of salt, and one pint of cream.” 

“ Oh, Lydia,” she exclaimed impatiently, as the 

69 


70 The Genie of the Silvery Mist 

child came bouncing in to tell about the fairy tele- 
gram, “ you have made me forget if I put in the 
salt.” 

“ Taste it and then you’ll know. Oh,” she coaxed ; 
“can’t I roll them just a little? I never did in all 
my life.” 

“ No, but you may cut them out if you want to; 
but be sure to shuffle the cutter thoroughly in that 
heap of flour, or else the biscuit will stick.” 

“ Have you been smiling into the glass, Dorothy, 
like the verse says? You didn’t look so pleasant 
when I came in and I’m ’fraid the brownies will sit 
on these biscuit, surely.” 

“ Indeed, they won’t ! ” exclaimed Dorothy pos- 
itively; “they are going to be as nice as possible, 
for we are going to have tea again to-day, and 
Aunt Margaret has invited Koto to come in and tell 
us a story afterwards. He and Mildred are out in 
the garden now digging something mysterious. 
Mildred always did love flowers and Koto has 
started her a little garden all of her own. He 
bought her a lot of seeds in the village, and she says 
he soaked them in hot water for several' days so 


The Genie of the Silvery Mist 71 

that they were ready to sprout when they were 
planted.’' 

“ I’ll get my fairy friends to hurry them up, and 
Mildred will be so happy. Now, Dorothy, I’ve got 
these cut and have stuck the fork twice in every one 
of them, and I guess I’ll run out to Mildred’s gar- 
den and see if I can’t help them with that mysterious. 
But, oh, I forgot. Did you know something was 
out here in the Inn last night with a light? ” 

“ Why, no ! ” exclaimed Dorothy in astonish- 
ment. “ Who was it ? ” 

“ I don’t know, but I was looking out the window 
to see if I could find any stars, and I saw a light over 
here. But Aunt Margaret said the starlight was in 
my eyes, so I saw brightness everywhere. But I 
truly did see a twinkle through the trees.” 

Dorothy puckered her forehead thoughtfully. 
“ I don’t see what it could have been, Lydia ; but I 
guess it was a firefly or a glow worm.” 

“ Oh, then it must have been the fairies after all,” 
cried Lydia ; “ for fireflies are their lanterns. Didn’t 
you know, Dorothy? I must tell Aunt Margaret. 
Maybe she didn’t think about it.” 


72 The Genie of the Silvery Mist 

Of course the biscuit were very nice. Both 
grandma and Aunt Margaret said so, and they were 
also delighted with the dainty comfits made of dates 
stuffed with peanuts and dipped into lemon juice. 
Koto had shown Dorothy how to make them and 
Aunt Margaret asked permission to take home the 
directions so that she might serve them for supper 
the next Sunday when the minister and his little 
girl were coming to spend the afternoon. 

“ On Sunday ?” cried the children. “ Then we 
cannot play or anything.” 

“ Oh, yes, you can. Besides, you have the Inn to 
show them.” 

“ And I’ll put it in spick and span order,” said 
Dorothy ; “ and we’ll make fudge with nuts in it, 
girls, if you’ll help crack them. And maybe we 
can have afternoon tea; but I’d have to have lots 
more of cups and things.” 

Aunt Margaret acquiesced at once, and promised 
to lend cups and spoons and saucers enough, and 
even suggested that Dorothy might learn to make 
tiny sugar cakes for tea. Harriet would be glad to 
be invited over to instruct. And auntie said she 


The Genie of the Silvery Mist 73 

would speak to her about it after the ironing was 
done. 

“ Aunt Margaret/’ asked Mildred presently, “ did 
you get Koto just to play with us this summer? ” 

“ It looks very like it, Mildred ; but he wanted to 
come and was delighted when I consented. I think 
Koto has some secret quest in his life which he is 
trying to fulfil, and while I have not yet heard what 
it is, I believe he is looking for some proofs of his 
birth, so that he can claim something in Japan. He 
was so interested in your cabinet, Dorothy, at first 
until I let him examine it, when he seemed to think 
he had no reason to expect to find anything in it 
for himself. Hush, here he comes now to tell us a 
story. Is he not gotten up regardless in his native 
costume? It is very nice of him to take so much 
trouble.” 

When the table had been pushed aside, the family 
sat in a half circle under the Japanese umbrella, and 
Koto, declining a cup of tea and a chair as well, sat 
cross-legged on a rug. He at once spread on the 
floor before him a square of black silk, under which 
he slipped something he took from one of his 


74 The Genie of the Silvery Mist 

sleeves. He was gaily attired in a gorgeous dress of 
crimson and black, which came way down to his 
heels, and around his head he wore a black band con- 
taining a flashing stone that shone like a gleaming 
eye in the middle of his forehead. He carried a beau- 
tiful little fan, covered with, glistening spangles, and 
as he talked, he fluttered it either fast or slow, or 
waved it with such rapidity that one could only see 
the glitter of it. It seemed almost to become a part 
of the telling of the story, and the girls eyed it 
curiously. 

He began to speak in a sing-song voice which 
flowed evenly along with a fascinating rhythm, and 
if they had not all been deeply interested they would 
have been soothed to sleep. 

“ In the olden days, before the time of books, 
when people lived in castles and chateaux, far apart 
and isolated, they depended for their occasional 
entertainment upon the tales of wandering minstrels. 
These sprightly story-tellers recited verses and 
romances of knights and ladies, jousts and balls 
and gallant deeds, tales of wars and heroes, as 
well as legends and strange rhymes of fairy 


The Genie of the Silvery Mist 75 

folk and merry sprites. No written narrative 
can compare with the charm of a minstrel’s per- 
sonality. 

“ Now, in my country, men still tell stories for 
a living and everybody can write a rhyme about 
something. They fasten them on the trees, and post 
them everywhere, so that at some seasons, the land 
is one great verse. Once I travelled with one of 
these professional men and he taught me all his art 
contained for him. Then I went further and dis- 
covered new ways that he did not know, and the 
story I’m going to spin to-day came straight from 
Tokio. 

“ Once upon a time there was a young prince in 
Japan who lived in a wonderful palace surrounded 
by terraces and gardens filled with every kind of 
blooming trees which were worth a day’s journey 
to see, so beautiful were they. Now, this prince 
was only a little lad and he believed like the rest of 
his people, in fairies and dragons and make-believes, 
and that is why we are such a happy, contented 
people. Even if our hearts are heavy and sad, we 
think it is not polite to worry our friends with our 


76 The Genie of the Silvery Mist 

troubles. So, we smile just the same and have the 
appearance of being gay even if we are not. Some- 
times people pretend so long that they find them- 
selves happy. Even our children must be sweet 
when they are quite mad and don’t want to play or 
anything. Of course it is hard to say, when some- 
one has remarked how hateful one is, ‘ I thank you 
for telling me I’m not agreeable to you. I will at 
once make myself pleasant.’ We teach our chil- 
dren to be respectful to one another, too, and even 
if they do quarrel, they never smack one another’s 
faces.” 

The crimson of Koto’s robe seemed suddenly to 
have reflected in the faces of the four children who 
wriggled about uneasily until he hurried on with 
his tale. 

“ Now, the prince could also say funny little 
rhymes, and it was because of them that his troubles 
began. One day he was playing beneath a gorgeous 
cherry tree ladened with flowers almost to the 
ground, for its branches grew very low indeed. 
And as he romped and chased the flashing dragon 
flies which returned again and again to hover over 


The Genie of the Silvery Mist 77 

the dainty flowers, he sang a verse he had made 
himself, and this is what it was : 

“ ‘ The cherry blossoms’ pretty faces 
Are wet with morning dew. 

Would you change augustly places 
If they asked you to? 

They’ve just left their homes, all lined 
With soft silk, cool and green, 

But their hearts they’ve left behind 
With the cherries yet unseen ! ’ 

“As he sang it for the third time, he heard the 
softest kind of a voice, like a chime of bells, saying 
right behind him : ‘ Would you like to see the home 
of the cherry fairy and the dragon flies as well ? 9 

“The prince sprang quickly around to the other 
side of the tree, and lo, there stood the most beautiful 
woman in all the world. She was dressed in a 
cherry-coloured silk, and in her hair were glittering 
ornaments, as well as cherry blossoms. She seemed 
to float across the grass with her robes all trailing, 
and she beckoned to the boy to follow, and, being a 
boy, he did. 

“ They left the palace garden and climbed down 
the path leading to the town, but before they reached 


78 The Genie of the Silvery Mist 

it she turned suddenly and entered a house, and of 
course, the boy went also. They crossed the cool, 
dark court and went out 011 a beautiful lawn which 
reached away down to the river, on which floated a 
cockle shell of a boat moored quite close at hand. 
The beautiful woman stepped into it, followed by her 
charge, and away they went, skimming over the 
water as if they were sailing in an enchanted skiff. 
Birds hovered over them, and sometimes lit upon 
the boat, which floated softly along without a sound, 
or swinging of oars, or flapping of sails. The air 
was sweet and fresh and blew gently from the south, 
ladened with the odour of flowers and pine trees. 
The boy thought it was very pleasant and was glad 
he had left the garden, which alas, he was not to see 
again for many, many years.” 

Koto spoke very slowly and sorrowfully, and 
covered his eyes with his fan for a minute, as if he 
were one with the sorrows of the prince. But pres- 
ently he went on brightly, fluttering his fan 
excitedly : 

“ They came to a lonely island, which seemed 
suddenly to have risen out of the water, which 


The Genie of the Silvery Mist 79 

was so blue that away off where it joined the sky 
no one could detect the difference. There was a 
strange mist hanging low over the island, but 
through it, like a filmy veil, they could see the out- 
line of trees and all kinds of flowers and shrubs. 
The boat darted in to the shore and the boy sprang 
eagerly out upon- the beach, but the cherry lady 
remained in the boat and said so gently : ‘ I will 
wait here a little, prince. Do you run yonder be- 
yond the fir trees and ask the sentinel to direct you 
to the fairy house.’ 

“ So the boy scampered off, and when he reached 
the fir trees he looked back and the lady and the 
boat had entirely disappeared, and in spite of loud 
calling and praying to her to return, he never saw 
her again, or the boat either. And that part of the 
prince’s life was shut off from him entirely. The 
new one awaiting him was full of strange experi- 
ences, some hard and bitter and others so sweet and 
beautiful that they were worth all the loneliness he 
had to endure so long. 

“ By and by he wandered back to the fir trees 
again and accosted the odd-looking dwarf who was 


80 The Genie of the Silvery Mist 

guarding the two huge gates made of woven 
vines and branches and on which flowers were 
blooming gaily. He swung them open for the 
prince to enter, but the boy hesitated and drew back 
even from so inviting a scene. Finally, the dwarf 
bade him enter or go away, and the little fellow 
smothered his fear and anxiety and crossed the 
threshold of fairyland to his new life. 

“ He found himself in the midst of the strangest 
kind of a place, with straight, prim paths, bordered 
with fantastically cut hedges, while on every hand 
was a riotous profusion of flowers. Here and there 
were great trees hung with gay festoons and vines, 
and beyond the garden stood a row of pines and bal- 
sams whose spicy odours perfumed the air. As the 
lad strolled along the walks he was aware of dainty 
little figures scurrying around corners and peering 
curioifsly at him from behind hedges, and finally he 
became nervous and ran swiftly toward the grove 
from which he heard faint sounds of music. He ap- 
proached it softly and peeped cautiously through 
the branches, and there on the ground beneath a 
canopy of green sat a man whose face was as beau- 





The Genie of the Silvery Mist 81 

tiful as the dawn. It showed love and tenderness, 
and seemed to be illuminated by something from 
within, for his eyes flashed and glowed with a light 
the boy never had seen before. 

“ ‘ Is he not beautiful ? ’ whispered something in 
his ear as he looked again and again. He started 
and looked around and saw a tiny green sprite sit- 
ting on a branch beside him, and the wee creature 
smiled gaily at the boy’s astonishment. 

“ ‘ I’m just a green fairy,’ he explained kindly, 
‘ what we call a working fairy. I trim leaves and 
open buds in the spring, and when the time comes 
for the general opening, I have to work’, I can tell 
you.’ ” 

“‘And who is that?’ asked the prince, pointing 
to the man opposite. 

“ ‘ Oh, didn’t you know ? Why, he is the genie 
of the Silvery Mist. This place is called the Isle of 
the Silvery Mist. Perhaps you’ve noticed the white 
cloud that hovers above it always? That’s to keep 
people from seeing how beautiful it is. Now, you 
sit down here and wait a while and I’ll come back 
and introduce you to him.’ 


82 The Genie of the Silvery Mist 


“ The genie was playing softly on a small reed 
pipe, and all about him on the grass were myriads 
of birds of every kind and colour, and all of them 
were listening intently to the notes he was playing 
so sweetly. He called on the birds, one after an- 
other to sing the tones he piped and they warbled 
and whistled and trilled away until the place 
sounded like a conservatory of music. Finally, he 
came upon a difficult little measure and called upon 
a lark to try it alone, and the pretty bird swelled its 
tiny throat and sang it as gaily as if it had known it 
all its life. The genie played with it and nodded 
in perfect time and the other birds chirruped loudly 
in approval. Song after song was whistled and 
trilled until the genie caught sight of the eager little 
face peering through the trees. With a wave of his 
hand he dismissed his class and called to the boy to 
come in at once. 

“ ‘ I’m glad you came in time to hear the singing 
lesson,’ he said cordially. ‘ I have to train nearly 
all these birds before they fly away to make the 
world pleasant with their songs. I’m now going 
over to the schoolhouse where the fairies study, and 


The Genie of the Silvery Mist 83 

perhaps as we walk along you will tell me how you 
reached here/ 

“ When the little prince had told how he had been 
brought to the isle of the Silvery Mist, the genie 
looked grave and sorrowful. 

“ ‘ The cherry blossom lady was one of your 
father’s bitterest enemies and she brought you here 
because she knew you could not get away again, so 
your father would have no heir. But do not despair, 
my lad. The old genie has done many difficult 
things in his lifetime, and perhaps we may find a 
way out of your trouble too.’ 

“ Then he showed him the pretty schoolhouse 
where hundreds of fairies, elves and brownies were 
working and studying busily, and the boy was 
amazed to see how many things it is necessary for a 
fairy to know. Some were cutting out rose petals, 
others painting lilies, some were scouring leaves and 
others sharpening cruel thorns. Others were sew- 
ing patches on gay flowers and here and there were 
girls embroidering butterflies’ wings. 

“ It would be impossible to relate all the thousand 
things they were doing, and if you think fairyland 


84 The Genie of the Silvery Mist 

is an idle place where only rollicking and feasting 
and dancing are the usual order of things, you are 
mistaken. Every fairy must be skilled in its duty, 
and everyone studies diligently until the time comes 
for him to drift abroad. 

“ ‘ And the dragons ? ’ questioned the prince. 

“ ‘ Not since we arrived in the island have these 
dragons appeared, although we occasionally hear 
rumbles and smell sulphurous fumes. But while 
love and gentleness reign on the island, the fiery 
creatures will remain subdued in their caves, so you 
need never be afraid while you remain with us.’ 

“ So the boy lived among the kindly, busy people 
and learned many of their arts, even to- the playing 
of the pipes, so he was able to join the orchestra and 
play for the fairy dances along with the crickets and 
their creaking fiddles. And the genie revealed the 
wonders of the earth to him and showed him how 
happiness reigned over the world and only waited 
to be recognised and claimed by the people. He 
taught the boy to look into his own heart to find 
talents which would make him honoured among 


men. 


The Genie of the Silvery Mist 85 

“ ‘ Everyone has them/ he said, ‘ and you need 
only to want to do a thing hard enough and to stick 
at it, and lo, even Aladdin’s lamp could not accom- 
plish greater wonders ! ’ 

“ Of course, the boy listened and stored all these 
things in his heart and he could feel his ambition 
sprouting, and he longed to know what he could do. 
But one night, he went to sleep and dreamt that the 
genie was carrying him in his arms and the fairies 
were following them bearing gifts. All the time 
they journeyed, the genie whispered wonderful 
secrets to the boy and at last he said : 

“ 1 Now, the way to fairyland lies along the sil- 
very moonbeams, and if you ever want to come back 
to us, don’t try to sail on the river, but sit quietly 
down in the moonlight, close your eyes and say 
softly, ‘ Am I happy and kind and busy enough to 
gain admission to fairyland ? ’ After you have 
thought yourself over thoroughly and honestly, open 
your eyes and look along the moonbeam and you 
will see at the other end, the gates of the Island of 
the Silvery Mist.” 

“ When he awoke in the morning he found him- 


86 The Genie of the Silvery Mist 

self under the cherry tree in the garden, and spring- 
ing up he cried, ‘ It was only a dream after all ! ’ 
But there were strangers in the palace and they 
scoffed at the youth in his flowing robes and they 
drove him away, saying, ‘ Begone, you impostor ! ’ 

“ Of course, there was nothing to do but to go, and 
then began his wandering over all the world, for he 
had many things to do before he could ever go back 
to the genie, so he drifted from place to place, sing- 
ing and playing his reed pipe, until he became known 
as the Enchanted Piper, for no one had ever heard 
such music before. Now, the piper still lives and 
longs for the genie and the birds, but meantime he 
is doing his best to make himself fit to return to the 
Island, by serving wherever service is needed, by 
being happy wherever happiness is wanted, by lov- 
ing, when any heart will open to let him in.” 

“ Oh, don’t stop,” cried the children, “ tell us more 
about the genie.” 

“ Another time,” he said gently. " But first, let 
us see what is going on beneath this piece of silk.” 

Slowly he lifted the corners of the silk, and be- 
hold, there was only a tiny apple tree growing in a 


The Genie of the Silvery Mist 87 

red pot, and Mildred immediately whispered to 
Dorothy, “ I helped him plant that. It isn’t much 
to look at, is it? ” 

Koto heard the disappointed whisper and smiled 
knowingly. “ Just wait a minute,” he said reas- 
suringly, “ and watch the little tree.” 

After a few minutes the leaves seemed to be grow- 
ing longer, and presently the tree shot up fully three 
inches taller. 

“ Oh,” screamed Dorothy, plumping herself down 
on the floor beside Koto. “ It’s growing right be- 
fore our eyes.” And sure enough it was. 

Gradually tiny buds appeared and opened, show- 
ing the same tinted petals which were growing on 
the trees outside. Then they fell and scattered all 
around the pot and on the piece of silk, and before 
anyone knew it, wee green apples began to push out 
on the stems, and grew and ripened until they 
blushed and turned all rosy like lady apples. 

“ Now,” began Koto proudly, “ everyone may 
have an apple. And Miss Mildred will please look 
in hers, for there is a gift in' it, I’m sure.” 

Mildred immediately bit into the apple and al- 


88 The Genie of the Silvery Mist 

though she made a wry face because it was so hard 
and sour, she afterwards beamed with delight when 
she found at the very core, a silver anchor pin as 
pretty as could be. 

“ The sailor boy left it,” explained Koto, rising to 
go, “ and he hoped you would wear it for his sake. 
He wanted you to know that he thought you were a 
very plucky girl to warn him as you did.” 

The children looked at Mildred and poor Mil- 
dred’s face grew red and she stammered with em- 
barrassment. And then, seeing that Aunt Margaret 
was smiling at her, she ran across and hid her scar- 
let cheeks against her shoulder. 

What a funny time it was! Everybody knew 
everybody else’s secret, and yet no one would say a 
word. No one wanted to break the trust and so no 
one said anything until Aunt Margaret patted Mil- 
dred’s curls and said kindly: 

“ It’s very nice to have earned such a pretty gift, 
is it not, my dear ? ” 


CHAPTER VI 


THE WAY THINGS HAPPENED 

O F course,” said Aunt Margaret, “ I believe 
Koto was telling his own story. But I must 
confess I do not see why he does not settle 
down to some serious work. He is certainly clever 
enough to amount to something, and I think he 
dreams and makes-believe too much. You know, 
of course, that he was your grandfather’s servant 
when he was a mere lad, and I have not seen him for 
years until I met him in the spring in a shop in New 
York. He told me he was searching for an old 
family relic and he never intended to relax his ef- 
forts until he found it. Someone had brought it to 
America and he intended to find it if it took a whole 
lifetime.” 

“ I suspect he is the genie himself,” remarked Mil- 
dred, “ ’cause who else could make an apple tree 
grow in a minute ? ” 


89 


90 The Way Things Happened 

“ He’s a conjurer, that’s what he is. Father has 
told me about them,” said Bob. wisely. 

“ No, indeed,” and Lydia shook her head know- 
ingly, “ It was fairies and they didn’t show them- 
selves at all. I telegraphed for them, don’t you 
know, Dor ? They’ll probably be over here to-night. 
Oh, Aunt Margaret, can’t we come over as soon as 
we see the light ? ” 

But when the evening came, the child had forgot- 
ten all about the lights in the Inn, and when the 
girls had gone to bed, it was Aunt Margaret and 
Bob who slipped across the orchard and tiptoed close 
to the window where they had discovered a light 
twinkling among the trees. They made no noise as 
they crept through the grass and Aunt Margaret 
was just tall enough to see into the room. She gave 
a hasty glance, stifled an exclamation, and turned 
quickly away. 

“What is it, auntie?” whispered Bob, stretching 
up to see, but Aunt Margaret caught his arm and 
hurried him away. 

“ It was only Koto busy at work, and I think, Bob, 


The Way Things Happened 91 

we had better not mention it to anyone. Our prowl- 
ing around here to-night, I mean.” 

“ All right,” assented Bob cheerfully, “ but I 
don’t see where he got the key. Dorothy is so care- 
ful of it.” 

Aunt Margaret did not go to bed at once, but sat 
in her “ thinking ” chair and pondered long and 
deeply over Koto’s strange occupation. He had been 
seated on the floor with Dorothy’s cabinet in front 
of him and he was pressing vigorously the nail heads 
in the little doors with his fingers. A curious piece 
of paper lay on the floor beside him, evidently con- 
taining directions, as he referred to it constantly. 
It had been the expression of his face that had 
startled her so; for his teeth were clinched and his 
eyes flashed menacingly. “ What can he be after in 
that cabinet. He should have asked permission to 
examine it, if he thought it was of use to him.” 

Then she recalled the day in the attic when she 
and Koto had been rummaging for furnish- 
ings for the Inn. She had suddenly pulled out 
this little cabinet and remembering the sandal- 


92 The Way Things Happened 

wood box in it, had decided to give it to Dorothy 
along with the chain her father had brought from 
Japan, years ago. She had dusted it carefully, and 
then called Koto to look at it, and as soon as he had 
laid eyes on it, he gave a gasping cry, and fell on 
his knees, covering his face with his hands. The 
sound of her voice brought him to his senses, and 
quickly pulling himself together he apologised for 
his emotion; saying the beautiful thing had re- 
minded him of his own home, and he had broken 
down. She allowed him to examine it then and 
there, but there was nothing in it, and the poor 
fellow was cast down enough. 

“ What did you hope to find in it?” she had 
asked. 

“ Only papers, Madam ; but there is nothing 
there.” 

“ And now,” said Aunt Margaret, nodding vigor- 
ously, “ that is the cabinet and he is looking for a 
secret compartment, and I hope he will find it, too. 
But I must go to see the ‘ Cap’n ’ and ask him if he 
remembers when father bought that cabinet in 
Tokio.” 


The Way Things Happened 93 

The very next morning, Aunt Margaret bundled 
the two little girls and Bob into the dayton, and 
drove over to a small village situated on a narrow 
neck of land, lying between the bay and the sea. To 
be sure, it was only a collection of fishermen’s cot- 
tages, but she knew the children could find plenty 
to amuse them while she talked to the “ Cap’n,” who 
had been mate on her father’s ship many years 
before. 

It was a long, uninteresting drive, but as soon as 
the children caught sight of the sea, they were so 
eager to see the breakers that they could not urge 
gentle old Dobbin along fast enough. 

“ Oh, it’s just as different from the bay as can 
be ! ” they cried. “ And wouldn’t it be fine if we 
could see a wreck to-day? ” 

But the day was fair and a gentle wind tipped the 
waves with a narrow line of foam as they dashed 
and broke and scurried along the beach, with a never- 
ending rhythm. The minute the carriage stopped 
in front of one of the weather-beaten houses, the 
young folk scrambled down and were off along the 
shining sands at such a rate of speed that it looked 


94 The Way Things Happened 

as if they had never known what freedom was 
before. 

Aunt Margaret’s brisk knock on the blistered, 
painted door brought kindly, smiling Mrs. Bennett, 
who told her the “ Cap’n ” was out in the boathouse 
caulking, and if she’d go right ’round he’d be more 
than glad to see her. 

“ Of course, Ma’am, you’ll stop to dinner with the 
children. We have a fine chowder to-day, and it’ll 
be a treat for them.” 

“ You are always so kind, Mrs. Bennett, but we 
cannot stay to-day. I have a lunch in the carriage 
and we’ll eat it on the way back.” 

She found the old man busy at work and as soon 
as he saw his beloved commander’s daughter, he 
whisked off his cap and bowed like a French danc- 
ing master. But Margaret held out her hand and 
he shook it with a grasp that made her almost wince. 

“ Well, I am glad to see you. Did you fetch the 
children ? ” 

“ Yes, but they ran away before I could stop them. 
They are like all the rest of us, Cap’n. They love 
the sight and the smell of the sea.” 


The Way Things Happened 95 

“ Aye, we love it too well, too, sometimes, 
Ma’am.” 

“ Now, Cap’n,” said Aunt Margaret slowly, 
smiling into his rough, old face, as seamed and 
wrinkled by stress of wind and weather as the clap- 
boards of his little home, “ do you remember when 
you and father sailed to Japan the last time and 
brought home the cases of tea over which you had 
that quarrel with the government ? ” 

“ Remember ! ” snorted the old tar, “ indeed, I 
do, as well as if ’twas yesterday. And how mad the 
Captain was at the red tape officials who claimed the 
boxes were not filled with tea.” 

“ Yes, I know; but do you remember when you 
were in Tokio of hearing father mention having 
bought a curious teak-wood cabinet ? ” 

The Cap’n pulled his white beard thoughtfully, 
and looked away toward the sea as if he had no 
recollections that the mighty deep did not share. 

“ Seems as if I^couldn’t quite remember and yet 
there’s a glimmer of it too. If you’ll just set down 
here on the stool, ma’am, and let me smoke and 
work, maybe it’ll come quicker. I can think better 


96 The Way Things Happened 

when I’ve a pipe stem between my teeth and Eve 
heard other sailors say so, too. It helps to concen- 
trate, you see.” 

While Aunt Margaret waited for the Cap’n’s 
memory to awaken, she watched the children run- 
ning to and fro, chased by the breakers which raced 
them swiftly sometimes. The beach was a busy 
place that morning, as the fishing smacks had come 
in during the night, and the sands were strewn with 
nets and tackle. Men were gathered in groups talk- 
ing over the home news or smoking contentedly on 
the doorsteps of their homes as tidy and trim as the 
deck of a well-kept vessel. At some of the open 
windows simple lace curtains fluttered, and in front 
of every house was a clamshell-bordered flower bed. 
While no flowers as yet decorated the prim circles 
and squares, they were all ready for the planting. 

Every one of the houses faced the sea, as if the in- 
mates dared not turn their backs upon the restless 
water from which their living came and upon which 
the village men had spent their lives. 

The Cap’n painted and puffed away and Aunt 
Margaret sat so still that she was afraid he must 


The Way Things Happened 97 

have forgotten her, and she was just about to re- 
mind him of her presence when he dropped the brush 
into the paint bucket and seating himself on the 
lower step of the boathouse, nodded cheerfully and 
encouragingly. 

“ IVe got it now,” he said, “ and a queer tale it 
is, but you must remember that when a lot of sailors 
are ashore in foreign parts, they cut antics that they 
would not do at home. Well, I recollect the very 
night the Captain first saw that cabinet Seems as 
if it hadn’t been but a week ago. 

“ It was on the night of the year the Japanese set 
lighted lanterns afloat on the sea, and a pretty sight 
and custom it is, too. Well, I was watching them 
float away into the darkness, the wind driving some 
of them out to sea, when presently up come the 
Cap’n all rigged out in his dress-ups, and says he, 
‘ I’ve business in town. Come along, mate.’ 

“ So, I slipped on my jacket and away we went. 
And what an evening we had ! We wandered along 
the main street all hung with curious lanterns, and 
laughed heartily at the curious names painted on the 
lintels of the houses like ‘ The Home of a Thousand 


98 The Way Things Happened 

Plum Flowers/ and ever so many such outlandish 
titles. 

“ The sliding screens of most of the houses were 
shut and we could not see anything through the 
thick paper windows, so we just walked, out of curi- 
osity, down one of the side streets to see what we 
could of the queer ways. Presently we came to a 
large place which was lit up from cellar to garret and 
people were coming and going busily. 

“ ‘ It’s a party/ said the Cap’n. ‘ Let’s wait and 
see if we can’t get an invite to supper.’ 

“ So we waited beside the entry and watched the 
ladies tripping in on their stilted shoes. By and by, 
the Cap’n caught my arm and he said : ‘ There goes 
the famous geisha from the tea garden we saw yes- 
terday, and if she’s going to dance in there I’m 
going to see her.’ 

“ I tried to persuade him not to go, but he said he 
hadn’t dressed up for nothing, so he stepped up to 
the door and presented his card to the heathen 
waiter who stood there, and bless me, if they didn’t 
all bow to the very floor and invite him in at once. 
He told me about it afterwards. He said they were 


The Way Things Happened 99 

having some kind of a smelling game, where you 
have to tell the different kinds of incense as they 
were burning, and as he had so keen a nose he 
guessed the most of all. The Cap’n would not ac- 
cept the gold dingle-dangle they offered him as a 
prize, as he was a stranger to them all ; but then the 
host said that anything his house contained was the 
Cap’n’s, and he must take something away as a 
souvenir. Well, as long as they insisted the Cap’n 
looked about a bit and presently he said : * I will 
take that bit of teak-wood closet over there.’ 

“ He thought the host looked kinder flabbergasted 
and he was just going to say, ‘ Never mind,’ when 
the celestial said : 

“ 6 If the honourable Cap’n will allow me to re- 
move some private papers from it, I’ll have it re- 
moved at once to his augustly ship.’ 

“ So after supper they cleared it out and insisted 
upon having a man carry it for the Cap’n. I was 
hanging around outside and he sent the man back 
and gave me the thing to lug for him. We had a 
hearty laugh over the adventure which your father 
said had been worth the risk he had run. 


ioo The Way Things Happened 

“ Those were great days, ma’am, and I’m glad to 
recall them again.” 

“ Well, well,” ejaculated Aunt Margaret, “ and 
that is the story of the teak-wood cabinet. Naturally, 
father never told us about his audacity. I think I 
shall restore it if I ever have a chance.” 

“ How’s your Jap getting along, ma’am? He 
seemed a likely fellow the day I called on you. 
He was painting the baby house for the chil- 
dren.” 

“ We call it ‘ The Apple Tree Inn,’ now, Captain, 
and you must come over and inspect it, and I’m sure 
you will think it a tidy little craft. And we can- 
not let you off when we go to Bird Island, Cap- 
tain. You shall have a tent of your own and we 
shall all be eager listeners to your camp-fire stories. 
Now, I must round up the youngsters and drive 
home again, though I hate to go away from you all. 
It has been the height of my ambition to live in one 
of these little grey houses, and to have a garden with 
borders of clamshells.” 

“ You’d soon weary of it,” laughed Mrs. Ben- 
nett, who had joined them, “ specially in winter time 


The Way Things Happened ioi 

when the mist from the sea freezes all over the front 
of the house.” 

Of course, they insisted upon the children taking 
a basket of pretty shells, and Mrs. Bennett brought 
something from the kitchen wrapped in a white nap- 
kin, the Captain added a basket of beautiful fish for 
grandma, and both old people promised to join them 
in camp during August. 

After they had jogged along a bit and everybody 
was quite sure it was luncheon time, Aunt Margaret 
pulled a basket from under the seat and opened it 
amidst exclamations of delight. There were tiny 
sandwiches cut in triangles, and any quantity of 
chocolate cake. There were rosy apples stuffed with 
bananas and dates ; and if you never have tasted one 
of these delicacies, do not wait another day before 
you attempt to make one. Mrs. Bennett’s napkin 
contained six little sponge cakes filled with fat plump 
raisins and everybody wished there had been two 
apiece. Even Aunt Margaret confessed that the sea 
air made her ravenous, and she hoped Harriet would 
save something from dinner for them all. 

Of course, Harriet had kept dinner nice and hot 


102 The Way Things Happened 

for them and not one of them remembered that they 
had had any luncheon at all when they sat down at 
the table. 

Dorothy came running in to hear about the ride 
and then she told them of her funny adventure in 
the Inn while they were gone. 

“ I was curled up on the window seat reading, 
with that ‘ Rest Awhile ’ cushion behind my back, 
and I was so interested in my book that I did not 
hear anybody knock, and presently the front door 
opened, and somebody said, ‘ Hello, in there ! ’ 

“ Of course, I flew to see who it was and there 
stood an old lady gorgeously dressed, with a pink 
sunshade and a beautiful fluffy hat tied under her 
chin. She couldn’t have been a very old lady either, 
because her clothes were so very young. 

“ ‘ Good-morning,’ I said, because I thought she 
was a friend of yours, Aunt Margaret, * won’t you 
come in? Auntie has gone to drive.’ 

“ * Has she, indeed?’ she replied politely. ‘I 
want to know, my child, whose Inn this is, and if I 
can get a cup of tea. I’m very hot from my walk.’ 

“ Then she kept on exclaiming about everything 


The Way Things Happened 103 

till I could hardly get her to listen while I told her 
I hadn’t any fire and it would take too long to get a 
cup of tea. I offered to get her a glass of iced milk, 
but she said impatiently : ‘ Go and fetch me some- 
thing, I’m tired to death.’ 

“ Then she sat down in one of the rocking chairs, 
and I left her trying to read the verses on the door. 
She was peering through a pair of spectacles fast- 
ened on a spoon-handled looking thing, and when I 
got back I heard her say: ‘Well, this is something 
I never thought of for my children. What a place 1 
What a place ! ’ 

“ Oh, and when she saw the plate of jumbles 
Harriet had given me — they were fresh and almost 
warm — she said at once that she would take off her 
hat and stay a while with me. And, Aunt Mar- 
garet, she never left even a crumb of those cakes. I 
think she really wanted some more, but I daren’t ask 
Harriet for another plateful.” 

“ And' then what did she do ? ” 

“ She asked- me about father and mother, and who 
had built the Inn, and then she wanted to know if I 
would serve milk and jumbles if she would drive 


104 The Way Things Happened 

over from the hotel. I said I didn’t think you 
would let me, but I invited her to tea sometime 
when you were at home.” 

“ That was quite right, Dorothy ; but I do not 
know her at all. She is probably a summer boarder 
at The Breakers, the large hotel beyond the 
village.” 

“ Then before she went she patted my shoulder 
and said : ‘ I don’t know when I have spent such a 
morning, I have had such a charming time and I am 
coming again. As for those jumbles, I have not 
tasted any since I was a girl at home, and if your 
cook will bake a batch of them for me I will pay her 
liberally. Tell your Aunt Margaret I shall call on 
her with my husband: and I think you are a very 
wonderful little hostess, my dear.’ ” 

“Wasn’t she nice to say that?” asked Dorothy, 
beaming. “ And then what do you think I found 
under the plate?” and the girl held up a crisp five 
dollar bill. 

“ Rather expensive cakes, I should think,” re- 
marked Aunt Margaret, “ but she was very sweet to 
give it to you. Of course, Harriet may bake some 


The Way Things Happened 105 

more jumbles, and if your visitor never returns, why, 
we’ll eat them ourselves.” 

And both Lydia and Mildred looked as if they 
hoped, way down in their hearts, that the old lady, 
who loved jumbles quite as much as they did, would 
forget to come after them, even after Harriet had 
good-naturedly consented to bake them. 

Somehow, the next morning, when Koto and Bob 
went off to the Island armed with small axes and a 
well-filled dinner basket, the boy had nothing to say 
about his objection to sleeping out of doors and he 
went to work with a will under Koto’s instructions. 
It was not long, however, before his arms ached and 
his muscles stung with pain. 

“ It’s only because you’ve never used them in this 
way before,” explained Koto, “ and they are pretty 
flabby. But in a few days the muscles will harden 
and you will forget you have any except for the de- 
light of being able to pound and lift and carry. I’ll 
give you a rub down to-night, after we go back to 
the house, for we probably shan’t have our shake- 
downs ready to-day. Don’t you think,” went on 
Koto, “ that this clearing ought to be used for the 


106 The Way Things Happened 

dining tent? You see it overlooks the bay, and 
there are so few bushes to be cut down.” 

So they chopped and cleared and dug holes for the 
tent poles, and Koto was kind enough to make many 
excuses to save the boy from the heaviest part of 
the labour. 

Then, with the irresistible confidence which is al- 
ways born of comradeship in the woods, Bob told 
Koto of his trouble and his fear of everything. 

“ Father says I’m the only coward ever born in 
our family, and he thinks it is a disgrace. But what 
is a fellow to do when his feet stay glued to the 
ground when he ought to fight or run ? ” 

“ I wonder,” said Koto, throwing down his 
shovel and flinging himself full length on the ground 
beside it, “ if your father ever thought that by his 
constant telling you that you were a coward, only 
made it more apparent. We have a queer way in 
my country of managing such things. We never 
would acknowledge that you were afraid, but would 
seize every opportunity of telling you that you were 
just the opposite, and by constant repetition you 
would get to think, by and by, that you were not, and 


The Way Things Happened 107 

you would not be afraid. Now, I don’t believe that 
a boy as sturdy and honest-eyed as you could be a 
coward.” 

“ Well, you see,” explained Bob in a burst of 
confidence, “ I thought I was getting on very well 
when one day last winter, one of the boys mocked 
me during recitation and was very insulting. And, 
of course, at recess, the boys urged me to fight him, 
and I would not. And finally, the fellow himself 
came up and jeered at me and called me things, and 
of course, nobody could stand that, so I just up and 
hit him. Well, sir, he just pummelled me to pieces, 
and for all I set my teeth and hit back I could not 
touch him. Then somebody told father I had let a 
boy spank me, and he was so furious that he would 
not speak to me for a week.” 

“ Did you ever take boxing lessons ? ” asked Koto 
suddenly. 

“ No, some of the fellows did last term, but I just 
did some exercises and track running.” 

“ That settles it,” and Koto sprang to his feet, his 
face aglow with interest. “ If your father expects 
you to fight your way through the world with your 


108 The Way Things Happened 

fists, then I can be of some use to you in starting you 
right. I learned to box when I was but knee high, 
and although I never box now, the knowledge that 
I can defend myself and others against the most 
stalwart ruffian and could probably down him before 
he could hit me, is the only bit of pride I allow my- 
self to foster. Up on your feet this minute, and 
square off, sir ! ” 

Then Koto showed him the first rudiments of the 
manly art of self-defence, and all through the sum- 
mer he made the boy keep up the practice, and so 
rapid was his progress that the clever Japanese had 
more than one black eye to illustrate his pupil’s skill. 
Of course, the first lesson was short and brisk and 
afterward Koto bade his pupil take a dip in the 
river. A quick rub down with his hands served in- 
stead of a towel and Bob’s cheeks glowed with 
colour when he appeared at the supper table that 
night. 

“ Dear me,” exclaimed Aunt Margaret, “ I shall 
have to turn Dorothy over to Koto to train. Such 
roses should be growing in her cheeks, too.” 

“ They just mean appetite, Aunt Margaret, and 


The Way Things Happened 109 

I’m glad to see that Harriet expected me to be 
hungry, as she’s got an extra plate of bread and 
butter on my side of the table. Jiminy, Aunt Mar- 
garet, I’ve had the happiest day of my life. Koto 
knows how to make work seem like play, and then 
he knows so well how a fellow feels about things.” 

Aunt Margaret thought of the talk she had with 
Koto after Bob’s confidence about the mysterious 
something, and Koto, with a thoughtfulness that 
surprised her, had advised her to let him win the 
boy’s heart and learn in that way the story of his 
trouble. 

“ I can do more,” he had said, “ by being practical 
with him than you can, Madam, with your ideals of 
bravery and manliness,” and she had agreed to let 
him try. So, then, it was on that little island in the 
midst of the swiftly flowing river that Bob learned 
from the strangest man that ever crossed the seas, 
strong, plain truths on the growing of boys along 
certain lines. Everybody knows that boys are like 
grapevines, with little tendrils which cling fast to 
whatever they grasp. And it is the gradual move- 
ment of the wee tendrils that determines the direc- 


no The Way Things Happened 

tion of the climbing vine. With tendrils for habits 
then, and the vine for character, there is a main 
chance for a fruitful or a wasted vintage in boys. 

And where else in all the world is there a better 
place for getting at the heart of a boy than in the 
woods? All that a lad thinks or does crops out 
among the quiet whisperings of the trees and the 
twittering of the birds, and the still witchery of the 
woodland seems to awake the instincts of the early 
days when men lived and trapped and hunted in the 
forests. These instincts can never be educated out 
of a man, and Koto, knowing this, added his knowl- 
edge of woodcraft to this influence, and Bob drank 
it in as unconsciously as he did the fragrant odour 
of the spicy pines. The friendship of these two 
was beautiful to see, for when a man can win a boy’s 
love, he is apt to be his very best when that boy’s 
around. And who is there that can resist the re- 
spect and confidence in a boy’s face when he gazes 
upon the man who has reached the goal for which he 
is striving? Isn’t the adoration of the lad priceless 
to the man ? 

So, Koto, looking down into Bob’s bright eyes 


The Way Things Happened in 

and eager face thought of the old man he had called 
the genie in his story to the children. In this man’s 
care he had spent his youth on an island in the 
Pacific, but how he ever got there and the manner 
of his transportation to Japan would ever remain a 
mystery. Year after year, the kind old man had 
added to the lad’s unfolding mind stores of knowl- 
edge about nature, flowers, birds and trees. And 
Koto had learned, too, what a boy’s companionship 
might become to a lonely man, and he was thankful 
for Bob’s overture of friendship. In his long search 
for the missing link of his life, although he had 
played to and amused many children, he had never 
stayed long enough with them to enjoy their com- 
radeship. He and his reed pipe were always wel- 
come, for the piper of Tokio was known from tip to 
tip of the Island, but when the music was over the 
little folks soon forgot the player. 

Now, that night, when Bob was just about half 
asleep, he heard the door of his room open gently 
and Koto whisper softly: 

“ Are you asleep, friend Bob?” 

“ No, come in,” the boy answered drowsily. 


1 12 The Way Things Happened 

“ Don't rouse yourself. I only wanted to say 
‘ good-night/ ” slipping into the chair standing be- 
side the bed. “ You see,” went on Koto in his even 
voice, “ I don't mind telling you that I do get ter- 
ribly lonesome in the evenings, and I’m a bit blue 
to-night, so I’ve come to be comforted.” 

Bob felt very queer and he did not know exactly 
what to say; but he put out a hand to Koto, who 
gave it a good squeeze. “ Just close your eyes and 
go to sleep, and let me sit here so I can be near 
someone for a while. I won’t disturb you.” 

So Koto sat there silently in the dark, watching 
the moonlight streaming in at the window, and he 
hoped it would light the boy’s way into dreamland. 
Just as Bob’s quiet breathing told him that he was 
nearly there, Koto suddenly stooped over the boy 
and with a quick movement aroused him enough for 
him to hear the Japanese saying over and over 
'again: 

“ To-morrow you will not be afraid. You will 
be brave and manly and thoughtful. There is noth- 
ing in this beautiful world to fear — you will never 
think of being afraid.” 


The Way Things Happened 113 

And Bob went sound asleep with the words ring- 
ing in his ears. Then satisfied that his little friend 
was asleep, Koto slipped away leaving him to dream 
in the moonlight alone. 

“ They say,” he muttered, as he crept to his own 
room, “ that to whisper to a child as it is going to 
sleep about the thing you most wish it to be, will 
influence his mind so strongly, it being the last im- 
pression it received, that it will become a habit un- 
consciously to the little one. And now we shall see 
if it works.” And so shall we. 

Koto was about to enter the Inn the following 
morning when the sound of a woful little voice 
made him hesitate in the doorway. 

“ I don’t care,” wailed Mildred mournfully, 
“ Dorothy and Harriet are shut up in the kitchen 
and Lydia is playing mother all by herself, and I 
think you might let me have just one brush and a 
little paint to try with. I love to draw, too, only I 
didn’t know it before, and nobody put a thing in this 
house for me to amuse myself with, so now.” 

“ Well,” replied Bob indifferently, “ you are not 


1 14 The Way Things Happened 

an interesting child, you see, and you never think 
of anything but something to eat, so people suppose 
that’s all you ever want. Nothing to do? Why, 
there’s a basket over there with a real silver thimble 
in it, and I should think any girl would like to sew.” 

“ I do know how to sew, but I must have some- 
body to talk to while I’m doing it. It’s such lone- 
some work, Bob.” 

“ Oh, pshaw, go and do it anyway, and don’t 
pester me. I have only a little time to work, as 
Koto and I are going to the Island and won’t be 
back until to-morrow.” 

With sudden silence and a sudden resolve which 
made every fluffy curl dance as she shook her head 
vigorously, Mildred opened the sewing basket and 
went to work laboriously on a bit of hemming some- 
body had conveniently started. Then when Koto 
finally made his appearance she was stitching quite 
happily and humming a funny little tune at the same 
time. 

“ Well, well,” exclaimed Koto in surprise, “ is 
everybody so busy they cannot talk to me a minute? ” 
And at the sound of his voice the other children 


The Way Things Happened 115 

came running with an eagerness that brought a 
sparkle to the Japanese’s eyes. Dorothy quickly 
opened the kitchen cloor and showed him a pan of 
beautifully browned tea cakes, the first she had ever 
made. 

“ Aren’t they beautiful ? ” she cried. " I just 
wish Janet could see them, for Harriet says they are 
quite as nice as any cook could possibly make. She’s 
going to clean the kitchen for me, too, while I cool 
off. That little stove is like a furnace this warm 
day.” 

“ And now, young people,” began Koto, hesitat- 
ingly, “ I’ve been wondering how you would like to 
take part in a play, an out-of-door affair, to amuse 
our guests while we are in camp. You will each 
have a part to study and I will manage everything. 
I have already planned the dresses and will copy 
down the lines each of you will speak. There will 
be two acts and some music.” 

“ Oh,” exclaimed the children in one breath, 
“ we’ll study all right. We love to act, and a play 
out-of-doors will be the finest thing that ever was.” 

“ Don’t say anything about it, and we will sur- 


1 1 6 The Way Things Happened 

prise everybody as soon as we are ready. Come, 
Bob, it’s time we were off.” 

Now, Koto had recently brought out another small 
boat from the boathouse, which he had repainted 
and left moored to the tiny float that served for a 
landing, and when he and Bob had finally rowed 
away to their work on the Island, they left the two 
little girls sitting on the grassy bank looking wist- 
fully after them. Suddenly Mildred’s eyes shone 
with mischievous delight. Running to the float she 
caught hold of the rope with which the boat was se- 
curely tied and drew it in to the landing. 

“ Come,” she cried excitedly, “ get in and let’s 
pretend we are going, too.” 

“ Oh, what fun ! ” giggled Lydia, tumbling into 
the boat with the family of dolls she had brought 
out for an airing, and the child squealed with alarm 
as Mildred bounced in fearlessly after her, rocking 
the little craft from side to side purposely just to 
frighten her sister. 

Presently, when the boat was quiet, Lydia care- 
fully arranged the dolls in a row around the small 
seat in the stern and sat down on the bottom of the 


The Way Things Happened 117 

boat, so that she could be near them in case they 
should become afraid on their first voyage. Mildred 
perched herself in the bow of the boat, and, as she 
had no mind to allow the boat to remain idle at the 
landing, she contrived, in some way, to loosen the 
rope, and she watched eagerly for the craft to move 
away with the current. By and by, Lydia gave a 
little scream and cried in alarm : 

“ Oh, we’re moving, Mildred ! The boat has got 
away. Whatever shall we do ? ” 

“ Just sit still and let it move,” replied the girl, 
grinning at Lydia’s excited face. 

“ But we haven’t got any steering things,” cried 
the child, “ and how are we going to get back ? ” 

“ Oh, the water will bring us back when we are 
ready. We are going to the Island now, and Koto 
will see us and pull us in.” 

“ Oh,” smiled Lydia, reassured, “ let’s make out 
we are going to visit the genie of the Silvery Mist 
like Koto told us, and we can see fairies and things.” 

“ Of course,” answered Mildred, watching the 
water, “ we are going pretty slow and I’m afraid we 
won’t get there in time for dinner. I wish we had 


1 1 8 The Way Things Happened 

brought something to eat, but then Dor would have 
had to know and spoil things.” 

“ What fun! ” tittered Lydia. “ Nobody knows 
we are going and we will have something to tell 
when we get back. I wish I had my parasol, though, 
’cause the dolls must have my sunbonnet, so they 
won’t get tanned.” 

“ Silly ! ” sniffed Mildred, “ Put on your bonnet, 
you’ll get the headache in the sun.” 

So the little boat drifted aimlessly down the river, 
bobbing up and down, drifting and turning in the 
swifter eddies and sometimes almost touching the 
shore as it floated along. At first the children sang 
merrily, their, small weak voices echoing strangely 
through the quiet woods. Then after a while they 
grew quiet, and Lydia chatted softly to her dolls, 
while Mildred watched eagerly for the Island to ap- 
pear. But, alas, they drifted right past it without 
knowing it, and neither the busy man or boy knew 
the voyagers were near at hand. 

By and by, Lydia cuddled her head down against 
the mother doll and went fast asleep, and Mildred 
began to look a little anxiously for the truant Island. 


The Way Things Happened 119 

The shadows in the woods seemed to be growing 
deeper and the river fairly raced along and mur- 
mured busily. The child wished she had not come, 
then she wished Lydia would wake up, it was so 
quiet and lonesome. She wished a dozen things in 
as many minutes, and finally tears gathered in her 
blue eyes. 

“ I guess we’re going to sea, and whales will eat 
us,” she thought lugubriously, “ and then Aunt 
Margaret will make me go to bed without any sup- 
per I know. Lydia,” she called sharply, “ wake up ! 
You must, because we’re going to meet a whale, or 
a pirate, or something.” 

With a dismal wail Lydia sat up rubbing her eyes 
and looking fearfully around for the terrible fate 
awaiting them. 

“ Where is it ? ” she demanded. 

“ They’ll surely come pretty soon,” sobbed Mil- 
dred, “ and I wish we were home, I do.” 

“ You said you knew the way,” began Lydia, 
“ and now you don’t ” 

“ I can’t help it. You wanted to come, too,” 
snapped Mildred, “ I’m not all to blame, so now. 


120 The Way Things Happened 

Koto ought not have left that boat where we could 
get it.” 

“ But you thought of it first,” went on Lydia. 
“ Lm just as hungry as anything, Mildred, and I 
suppose I’ll be punished, too.” Then gathering her 
dolls in her arms protectingly, the child waited stoic- 
ally for either the whale, or the pirate, whichever 
happened to appear first. 

And then what do you suppose happened ? 

Suddenly the bushes at the edge of the river on 
one side were violently pushed aside and a young 
boy armed with rod and creel, stepped into view. 
Spying the boat, he hallooed cheerily: 

“ Boat ahoy ! Where are you bound ? ” 

“Oh,” screamed Mildred, waving her sunbonnet 
frantically, “ we’re lost and are going out to sea, and 
we’re afraid of whales and other things.” 

The boy laughed. “ Where are your oars ? ” he 
called, seeing that the children were alone and 
thoroughly frightened. 

“We haven’t any and we’re scared. Won’t you 
come and get us ? ” 

“ Hold on a bit,” he called, as the boat drifted on, 


The Way Things Happened 121 

“ Oh, we can’t ! ” wailed Mildred, “ and we’re so 
afraid. Don’t let us go ! ” 

“ Not on your life! ” he called reassuringly, hast- 
ily flinging off his coat and shoes. In a second he 
had plunged into the water and swam boldly after 
the rapidly floating boat. The children watched his 
approach with mingled awe and delight, and when 
he caught hold of the rope that had dragged in the 
water all the way, he gently turned the little craft, 
and with the rope twisted about his shoulders, he 
towed them safely to the shore. When at last the 
two little girls stood on dry land, they looked 
shyly at their rescuer, who was smiling oddly at 
Mildred. 

“ Why,” she suddenly cried, clapping her hands, 
“ Lydia, it’s the sailor boy! ” 

And so it was. And when he had fastened the 
boat securely and given Lydia her dolls, he started 
off toward the hotel, where he assured them his 
grandmother would take care of them. 

“ You see,” he explained to Mildred, “ I got away 
all right and hid in the woods a few days, and ate 
the food your aunt had put in the basket for me, 


122 The Way Things Happened 

and then after a while I slipped away on a train to 
the city, when I found that my grandmother was 
here for the summer at this hotel. Then, of course, 
I came trudging back to find her. She was mighty 
glad to see me, too, and I was willing enough to 
promise never to run away to sea again, I can tell 
you.” 

“ And you won’t get arrested ? ” asked Mildred. 

“ Not much. Grandmother’s lawyer will attend 
to that and I’m to go to college in the fall as they 
wanted me to at first.” 

The crowd of fashionably dressed people on the 
hotel porch asked many curious questions of the 
dripping boy and his charges, but after a few hur- 
ried words of explanation, his grandmother whisked 
them off upstairs and ordered their dinner to be 
served in her room. The children were abashed at 
first at the elegance of the old lady and her sur- 
roundings, but in a little while she had them chat- 
ting as if they had known her all their lives. 

“ Of all things,” she kept saying. “ Harry took 
refuge in your little Inn, and then I accidentally dis- 
covered it one day and had some milk ” 


The Way Things Happened 123 

“ Oh, are you the jumbley lady? ” asked Mildred 
wonderingly. 

“ Yes,” she laughed, “ and now my boy has res- 
cued you. Well, well. Pretty soon we all shall 
drive over and thank your Aunt Margaret for being 
so kind to a stray sailor boy and then I think we 
shall about be quits.” 

But it was not until late that afternoon that an 
astonishing carriage load drove into the door yard, 
and Aunt Margaret, pale with anxiety, could say 
nothing for a few minutes, but held the little girls 
tightly in her arms, while the sailor boy and his 
grandmother pretended to be interested in the ferns 
and flowers growing on the broad piazza. 

Of course, they stayed to tea and they were all the 
merriest kind of a company, and Mildred and Lydia 
did not have to go to bed supperless at all ; but what 
Aunt Margaret said to them as she tucked them 
away in their white beds, neither of them ever for- 
got, and probably they would rather not have it told 
right out before everybody. 


CHAPTER VII 


THE PIPER FROM TOKIO 

W HEN Sunday came and with it the gentle 
old minister and his two little daughters, 
Jennie and Molly, the Apple Tree Inn was in spick 
and span order, and the three hostesses had on their 
very best Sabbath frocks as well as their most com- 
panyfied manners. 

Now, the little country girls had never seen any- 
thing quite so fine or pleasing as the toys and play- 
things with which the Inn was filled, and after every 
nook and corner had been inspected, they were quite 
contented to sit in the pretty wicker rockers and hold 
the family of dolls, whose very best clothes had been 
donned for this occasion. Then Mildred and Lydia 
passed the nut fudge, served in the dainty paper cups 
Koto had made, and were so disappointed because 
they made no remarks about them. But the girls 
were following their mother’s directions not to take 

notice, or speak about things, because city people 
124 


The Piper from Tokio 125 

were used to having everything beautiful, and didn’t 
think it was polite to talk about things in their own 
houses. These children were tremendously im- 
pressed by the somewhat exaggerated courtesy of the 
little hostesses, and they looked with awe at Dorothy 
when she informed them that she took care of the 
Inn and did all the cooking that was done in it, be- 
cause she had been to cooking school. 

“ Of course, you know, that cooking is taught in 
the public schools now in the city, because they think 
it helps a girl to be careful and thoughtful and use- 
ful after she is grown up. In fact,” went on Doro- 
thy primly, “ I’ve heard that country girls don’t 
begin to know what we do about housework and 
scientific cooking. Why, even our smallest tots are 
taught to sew and mix and cook a little. Of course, 
we never do these things at home, but they are valu- 
able to know.” 

“ Don’t you know how to do anything? ” Mildred 
asked the older girl curiously. 

“ Know how to do anything?” she echoed, her 
face flushing at Dorothy’s superior air. “ Why,” 
she explained simply, “ I help mother cook and bake, 


126 The Piper from Tokio 

and I skim the milk and mould the butter after it is 
churned, and wrap it in oiled paper to send to the 
store. Then Molly and I wipe the dishes and bring 
the cooking things from the cellar to save mother 
the stairs. I dust after mother sweeps and I always 
make the johnnycake for breakfast and the pan- 
cakes for supper. We girls go after the cow and 
feed the chickens ” 

“ And darn the stockings,” interrupted Molly, 
breathlessly, “ and peel apples and potatoes, and 
bring in wood and help with the washing and hang- 
ing out. We iron the small pieces and make the 
fire and wash the carriage after it rains, and weed 
the garden and set the table, and tend the baby and 
watch the front gate for company so that mother 
can get off her wrapper in time to go to the door.” 

“ Goodness ! ” exclaimed Dorothy, nonplussed at 
this recital. “And when do you go to school, pray?” 

“ In the winter time, and we learn just as many 
things as you do, too. We sew and cut and fit, and 
Molly can make lovely aprons with ruffles over the 
shoulders, and ” 


“ And Jennie can hemstitch just beautifully, and 


The Piper from Tokio 127 

a lady at the farm paid her to do some fine hemming, 
too.” 

“ And we study Latin with father, and Molly’s 
going to be a teacher when she knows enough. And 
I don’t think it’s so fine to live in the city because you 
can’t go coasting when the crust is on the snow, or 
help at sugaring time, or go nutting, or anything.” 

“ Poof ! ” said Dorothy scornfully, quite forget- 
ting the four pairs of bright eyes which were watch- 
ing her hitherto beautiful manners. “ Those are 
countrified amusements, and I suppose you do enjoy 
them. But we have the theatres and ” 

“ Why, Dorothy,” interrupted Mildred, “ you 
know you never went to a theatre but once, and we 
never have been. And I would give anything to 
coast down hill on a sled and to eat maple 
sugar ” 

Dorothy sniffed. “ I don’t doubt it, Mildred, but 
I have other tastes.” Then suddenly realising that 
she was beginning to be hateful she politely offered 
to take the guests for a walk down to the river and 
show them the new landing Koto was making. 

Of course, Bob went along, but only because Aunt 


128 The Piper from Tokio 

Margaret insisted that he, too, should have a part 
in the entertainment of the little girls, and by and 
by, when they began to talk about the camp, he 
chatted about the arrangements quite eagerly and 
willingly. Things went on very well until the whole 
crowd tried to stand on the float at once, and as the 
boards had not been quite securely fastened, Bob 
cautioned Dorothy and the older girl to keep off and 
stand on the grass near by. 

“ We are perfectly safe,” answered Dorothy, 
superbly indifferent, for Molly was laughing at the 
fears of the children who daren’t go in wading be- 
cause of the deep water. 

“ City children are always afraid of everything,” 
she was saying in a manner that reflected Dorothy’s 
own, “ and I don’t believe you know what it is to 
have fun out of doors.” 

Now, Molly stood directly behind Dorothy on the 
unsteady little wharf, and when Dorothy, who was 
really out of humour with everybody and everything, 
wheeled around so quickly to deny the accusation, 
she startled the girl, who lost her balance and 
plunged headlong into the water. 


The Piper from Tokio 129 

Of course, they were paralysed with fright, for 
the river was deep and none of them could swim ex- 
cept Bob, and he only knew a little about it. But, 
when the girl disappeared beneath the water the boy 
knew he must do something, and quickly, too, and, 
although he shook from head to foot, he set his teeth 
as he pulled off his jacket, and when the old fear 
glued his feet to the ground, he suddenly heard Koto 
calling, “ There is nothing to fear in the world. Why 
Bob, you’re not afraid.” Then, without looking 
around to see where the Japanese was, he dived into 
the water and caught hold of the girl as she was 
slowly coming to the surface. She clutched him 
wildly and he struggled manfully to free himself so 
that he could strike out with his arms, but the terri- 
fied child only held faster as the girls on the shore 
screamed “ Help ! Help ! ” in their little childish 
voices. Dorothy wrung her hands and .the children 
sobbed with fright, and even Mildred crouched on 
the grass moaning in despair, “ Oh, they’ll be 
drowned. Why don’t somebody come? ” 

It’s all very well to talk about fear and to preach 
about self-possession, but it is only the actual facing 


130 The Piper from Tokio 

of danger that will bring out the pluck that is in a 
boy. Now, Bob knew that there was no possible 
chance of a rescue, for Koto did not come, and as 
he floundered about in the water, he suddenly re- 
membered a story he had read in an old magazine in 
the attic, about what to do in just such an emergency. 
So, he stopped struggling with the girl and began to 
tread water, begging her to hold her head above 
water until they could reach the land. It seemed 
hours before he heard an encouraging shout from 
the shore and he turned directly toward it to find 
his shoulders clutched by a pair of thin brown 
hands. 

“I’ve got you, Bob! ” screamed Dorothy. “ Take 
hold of the boards, I’ll steady you.” 

The little girl was quite exhausted when Dorothy 
finally dragged her on to the float, and as soon as 
Bob staggered to the grass he fainted dead away and 
then the children raced to the house to get somebody. 
It was Koto, after all, who came running first, and 
lifted his pupil in his arms, carried him swiftly to 
the nearest place and laid him all dripping and 
muddy on the rug which was to have been his seat 


The Piper from Tokio 13 1 

during the story-telling which was to follow the 
tea. 

The little girls flew back and forth to and from 
the house, to bring dry things for Bob, but Koto in- 
sisted upon bringing a couch from the veranda for 
him to rest quietly upon before he had to see any of 
the other people. Aunt Margaret turned her atten- 
tion to the poor little guest, who had been taken to 
the house, and nobody gave a thought to Dorothy, 
who had been the cause of the whole trouble. It was 
not until tea-time had arrived and all had nearly re- 
covered from the excitement, that Dorothy, was 
missed. Koto found her smuggled away on one of 
the hay lofts in the barn crying her heart out be- 
cause she had been so hateful and nearly killed Bob 
and Molly. He comforted her as much as he dared, 
because he was wise enough to leave that to Aunt 
Margaret to do ; but finally, he induced her to wipe 
her eyes and go to the Inn, as everybody wanted 
something to eat and would be very much happier 
after they had it. 

It was a very tear : stained, rumpled little hostess 
who poured tea, while Mildred and Lydia passed the 


132 The Piper from Tokio 

thin slices of bread and butter and the delicious 
cakes, which Aunt Margaret at once said were more 
evenly browned than Harriet’s ever were. Then 
she fixed the cambric tea for the children, and, when 
no one was looking, she dropped into each cup a 
curious looking pod, which, after it had been in the 
liquid for a few minutes suddenly opened and 
bloomed into the most beautiful little flower imagin- 
able. 

Of course, Lydia said it was some fairy work and 
everyone was breathless with wonder and delight, 
for the flowers did not fade, but remained fresh and 
sweet. Then, presently, one of the girls bit into the 
centre of her tea cake, and when her teeth jarred 
against something quite hard and unbiteable, an 
investigation discovered a small Japanese coin, 
and there proved to be one for everybody. 
Strangest of all, Aunt Margaret had in her pocket 
some lovely narrow velvet ribbon, so that each girl 
could hang the gold piece for a pendant around her 
neck. Dorothy slipped hers on the gold chain be- 
side the jade ornament, and Bob hung his on his 
watch chain at once. 


The Piper from Tokio 133 

Then Mildred discovered in a box beneath the 
tea table, some gay red apples made of silk and to be 
used as pin cushions, and a prettier souvenir of 
the Apple Tree Inn could not have been devised. 
Before they had finished talking over the surprises, 
Koto arrived in his gorgeous robes with his jewelled 
head band and glittering fan. But this time, instead 
of a piece of black silk, he placed on a small stool in 
front of him, after he had seated himself cross-legged 
on the floor, a large egg, as fresh and new as if some 
clucking old hen had lately laid it. The little coun- 
try lasses were rendered quite speechless with aston- 
ishment, but it was no wonder, for they had never 
seen a foreigner before, and Koto was dressed in his 
most elaborate costume. 

For a few moments he sat silently before his au- 
dience, fluttering his gay little fan, until he was sure 
he had gained everyone’s attention. Then he began 
his story, speaking so rapidly that it was necessary 
to listen very closely in order to catch every word. 

“ In the olden days, which were the happiest 
times, people say, a lovely little princess lived in a 
huge castle near the sea. The castle was grim and 


134 The Piper from Tokio 

grey and fairly bristled with battlements and tur- 
rets, and always from the highest tower floated a 
flag, on which was blazoned a chanticleer, or rooster, 
as we call it, which was the device of the royal house 
of which the princess’ father was the last representa- 
tive. The banners bearing this design had led the 
subjects of the realm into every battle, and victory 
had never failed to follow this barnyard guidon. 

“ Now, at this special time there had been dis- 
turbances and troubles with the neighbouring rulers, 
and the prince had not been as successful with his 
army as usual, and he and his people were well-nigh 
disheartened over it. He was more than perplexed 
to know how to retain his people’s confidence both 
in himself and in the emblem which stood for every- 
thing that was just and merciful. As he knew that 
he would be compelled to declare war almost im- 
mediately, he feared their disapproval and the refusal 
of their support of his plans. 

“ During all the active preparations for war, the 
little princess had a hard time of it. She was not 
allowed to play in the gardens, in spite of the trusty 
sentries who faithfully guarded the gates, for her 


The Piper from Tokio 135 

father would take no risks when the safety of his 
daughter was at stake. So, she had to be content to 
romp on the terraces and play beneath the frowning 
battlements with her dolls and toys, all alone. She 
was of too high rank to be allowed to know the 
children of the officers of the household, and the 
nearest princesses were many leagues away, so she 
was compelled to people her part of the palace with 
make-believe children and fairies and all of the de- 
lightful wonderland inhabitants. 

“ But she grew very tired of the stiff little trees 
which grew in tubs on the terraces, and the potted 
plants her father had placed all about could not take 
the place of the beautiful flower beds in the far-away 
gardens and the shrubs and blossoming trees in 
which birds twittered and sang the whole day long. 
Besides, her little feet ached for the feel of the crisp, 
fresh grass, and she longed for the hum of insects 
and the sweet smell of the lovely brown earth. 
The only birds she could hear were the chattering 
sparrows which had built nests away up in the 
crevices of the battlements, and as they could only 
chirp and not sing, she did not care for them at all. 


136 The Piper from Tokio 

“ Now, one day during the winter, when Jack 
Frost had covered the earth with a mantle of snow, 
and hushed the insects and sent the birds away on 
their Southern journey, the little princess was about 
as unhappy as a small girl can be. She tried very 
bravely not to show it, because her father, the 
prince, was worried and bothered almost to death, so 
she kept silent and played quietly by herself. It 
nearly always happens that thoughtful girls have 
some reward for their unselfishness, and one day, as 
we said before, a minstrel applied at the castle gate 
for shelter and food, and as he was dressed in the 
simple garb of a pilgrim and had nothing but a very 
small pack slung on his shoulder and a musical in- 
strument in a case, the sentry admitted him accord- 
ing to orders. 

“ Then, of course, he was ushered at once before 
the prince, in what was called the thousand-mat 
room, because of the many, many rugs on the floor, 
as well as those used to cover the walls on every 
side. This was the room where the prince received 
his staff officers and his cabinet, and when there was 
no official business going on, the princess was al- 


The Piper from Tokio 137 

lowed to sit quietly in one corner, jyst to be near her 
father, who loved his little daughter devotedly. So 
when the minstrel explained that he was but a stroll- 
ing musician, he was at once asked to play for the 
princess, who treated him very cordially indeed. 
She, very sweetly, invited him to sit beside her on 
the mat, and she loved him at once, because he had 
a look in his eyes that drew all children to him. 
Then he played many sprightly tunes for her amuse- 
ment, and finally she clapped her hands and cried : 

“ ‘ You are the piper from Tokio, because all the 
singing birds are shut up in your reed pipe.’ 

“ And so he was, and right pleased was he that 
the princess had heard of him. Then, when the child 
cuddled her glossy head against his arm, he played 
his merriest airs, the ones that always tingled in 
people’9 toes and made them smile and long to dance 
and trip about. Then suddenly it seemed as if the 
wind was blowing a gale about the castle, for it 
whistled shrilly and made one shiver as it blew. 
After a while it grew more gentle and it sounded 
as if soft breezes had come up from the south, bring- 
ing the sweet smell of pines and flowers. Then the 


138 The Piper from Tokio 

murmur of brooks could be heard, freed from Jack 
Frost’s tight grip, and with it came the twitter of 
birds and a song or two to show that spring was 
near. One could almost smell the fresh greenness 
of it all and see the red buds tipping every twig and 
branch. The creak of a cricket and the buzz of a 
bee announced the coming of early summer, and 
suddenly the room was filled with the lilt of birds 
and the rustle of the trees as they whispered among 
the newly arrived leaves. 

“ By and by, the minstrel laid down his pipe. 
‘ Summer has come, little princess,’ and he smiled 
into her bright eyes, ‘ and if you like we will have 
a few flowers and butterflies for you to see ? ’ 

“ So, he took from his pocket a few wee eggs and 
some odd-looking cocoons along with some knobbly 
roots and bulbs. After the prince had ordered a 
rug to be spread for his treasures, the piper arranged 
them to his liking and then breathed over them 
softly for a few minutes. Presently, one of the eggs 
nearest at hand was heard to crack and the faintest 
‘ Peep, peep,’ came from the shell. Then another 
and another until it seemed as if all of the tiny eggs 


The Piper from Tokio 139 

were going to hatch right there before their very 
eyes. Finally, the shells fell apart and the birdlings, 
with huge mouths, cried for the feathery mothers. 
But before they had time to be unhappy or very 
hungry, they began to grow and almost before the 
princess could believe it they went hopping about as 
if they had been used to living in a castle all their 
days. Of course, all the while the birds were grow- 
ing and feathering, the roots had sprouted and were 
putting forth leaves as busily as if they were grow- 
ing in a real garden. 

“ And when the birds began to sing, the buds 
began to open, and in a trice, the rug was a mass of 
dainty blossoms, hyacinths, tulips and daffodils. 
Before they had quite finished opening, tall lilies 
had shot up from one corner and after them came 
buttercups and daisies, and nodding chrysanthe- 
mums. And when the birds saw the flowers nodding 
so sociably, they swelled their little throats and sang 
and lilted as blithely as if the summer sun was shin- 
ing and the blue sky covering them all. After a little, 
from beneath a clump of grasses, there came a butter- 
fly, all yellow and downy, and others followed him 


140 The Piper from Tokio 

and floated familiarly around the thousand-mat 
room. Then the flash of darting dragon flies was 
seen, and, when the creaking fiddles of the crickets 
were heard, the princess clasped her hands in ecstacy, 
for crickets are greatly beloved and honoured in our 
Japan. 

“ * Oh/ she cried, ‘ can you make it last all the 
time, honourable piper? — this summer day? You 
may stay with us, and father will give you the king’s 
room, and I will serve you with my own hands if 
you will never go away.’ 

“ ‘ Yes,’ spoke up the prince, smiling at his daugh- 
ter’s happy face, ‘ you shall make your home with 
us and will give the princess a merry heart with 
your music and your birds.’ 

“ 4 Alas,’ replied the piper, * I have my mission 
to perform and I never stay anywhere.’ 

“ Now, it happened that when the officers and 
retainers heard of the wonderful things that were 
being done in the thousand-mat room they crowded 
around the doors to see and hear. Everyone was 
delighted and charmed by the music and the wee 
garden, until the gruff old minister of state brushed 


The Piper from Tokio 141 

his way rudely into the room and spoke far more 
sharply to the prince than any other man would 
have dared to do. 

There are no birds or flowers, Excellency/ he 
cried ; 4 the man has bewitched you all. I have been 
watching, and there is nothing,’ pointing to the rug, 
‘ there but a few odds and ends of roots and broken 
shells. He put a spell on you and you must be 
warned. He may come from our enemies/ 

“ That word was enough to alarm the prince, and 
fearing to believe what his own eyes had seen, he 
followed the minister’s wishes and had the piper 
placed in a dungeon out of harm’s way. Of course, 
it was cruel, but the minstrel had his pipe and he 
played until the guards begged to be relieved for 
fear he would enchant them and make them open 
the prison door. 

“ In the meantime, the subjects of the prince 
refused to follow the chanticleer banner to battle. 

“ ‘ We shall fail : you cannot promise even the 
smallest victory. But, if you can bring back the 
spirit of the rooster which always used to sit and 
crow on the battlements in the olden times, before 


142 The Piper from Tokio 

our people went forth to war, we will follow you 
to the ends of the world/ 

“ What was the prince to do? He was in such a 
quandary that he was quite wild with anxiety. And 
how could he command the spirit to appear, when it 
had only been a legend, centuries old, in his house? 
The poor prince consulted his court, his officers and 
all the wise men in his realm, but no one could sug- 
gest anything to relieve the situation. 

“ Finally, one morning, the little princess asked 
her father timidly if she could go to the piper's 
dungeon to take him some goodies and to hear him 
play, for all the soldiers in the palace were talking 
about the wonderful music he played in the gloom 
of his cell. 

“ * The minstrel ? ’ questioned the prince, who had 
forgotten all about the piper of Tokio. Then sud- 
denly an idea flashed across him. ‘ The very thing ! ’ 
he exclaimed. 

“ Then that morning, when the cabinet had as- 
sembled, the officers of state asked the reason of the 
sudden summons, and the piper was brought from 
his dungeon to face the stately gathering, but he 


The Piper from Tokio 143 

was not afraid, because there is nothing in all this 
beautiful world to fear. 

“ ‘ You shall question him/ whispered the prince 
to the minister of state, ‘ about the birds and butter- 
flies you did not see, and if he can account for them 
he shall go free on one condition/ ” 

“ ‘ Yes/ whispered back the minister eagerly; 
‘ and the condition ? ’ 

“ ‘ I will tell him that when you have finished with 
him/ 

“ So the grim old man questioned and examined 
and pestered the poor minstrel, yet they could not 
make him impatient, or confess that he was a 
sorcerer. Finally, the minister looked trium- 
phant. 

“ ‘ Prove that there were any butterflies in the 
thousand-mat room. If you cannot, I’ll have you 
beheaded before sundown/ 

“ And lo, while he was yet speaking, from some- 
where, nobody ever knew exactly where, there came 
floating and sailing leisurely, a huge yellow butter- 
fly, with azure wings and powdery body, and what 
did it do but flutter over to the minister of state, 


144 The Piper from Tokio 

and light upon the very finger he was wagging at 
the quiet piper. 

“ * A butterfly ! ’ he gasped. 

“ ‘ A butterfly ! ’ echoed the prince. 

“ ‘ A butterfly ! ’ murmured the minstrel, his eyes 
gleaming strangely. 

“ ‘ Surely/ whispered the assemblage. When the 
lightsome thing had drifted away toward the ceiling, 
the minister of state turned to the prince and said, 
ungraciously : 

“ ‘ There may have been butterflies' in the thou- 
sand-mat room that day, your Excellency.’ 

“ Then the prince rose, tall and terrible, they said. 

“ ‘ Minstrel,’ lie thundered, ‘ you may go free if 
you can perform an act of magic for me, and not 
else. If you can conjure the spirit of the chanti- 
cleer that floats on yonder flag, to crow on the 
battlements, according to the legend, before my peo- 
ple, you shall go safely and not empty-handed from 
my realm.’ 

“ ‘ As you will, Excellency,’ replied the minstrel, 
‘ and when you will.’ 

“ So a proclamation was sent forth to the further- 


The Piper from Tokio 145 

est part of the realm that the prince desired to speak 
to every subject who had borne arms, and every 
soldier of his house was bidden to a feast on a cer- 
tain day. Of course, it took days for the runners 
to reach all of the people, but the seventh day, the 
crowd having gathered around the castle, the prince 
was both glad and sorry, for fear the minstrel would 
trick him and lose for him the allegiance of these 
men. 

“ But when the time came and he stood on the 
terrace in his uniform, and began to speak to the 
people who had served his father before him, he 
forgot his fears and the piper and talked as only a 
true leader can. After a little, he noticed a com- 
motion in the multitude, and many pointing to the 
nearest battlement. Finally, one bolder than the 
rest, cried: 

“ * Excellency, look at the sign of victory ; the 
first in seventy years/ 

“ Turning quickly, the prince saw, bright and 
clear against the blue sky, the figure of a chanticleer, 
whose feathers glistened in the sunlight. And even 
as he looked, the creature crowed, long and full and 


146 The Piper from Tokio 

clear. The crowd cheered and tossed their hats, and 
the uproar was terrific. 

“ * Long live the victorious prince, the great ruler 
and warrior ! * 

“ There was great feasting and rejoicing in the 
castle all day, but the prince gave the minstrel a bag 
of gold and sent him away before the people heard 
of his presence in the palace. ,, 

“ But what became of the rooster ? ” cried Mil- 
dred breathlessly. 

Koto smiled. Touching the egg lying before him 
on the wicker stool, he said significantly: 

“ Here it is. You shall see it at once. ,, 

And while they were all looking wonderingly at 
it, the shell began to crack and the funniest little 
“ peep, peep ” came from the opening. Then, to 
everybody’s delight, Koto gently touched the two 
pieces and they fell, apart, and there stood the yel- 
lowest fluffiest little chicken in the world. The girls 
tried to take it up but Koko said “ No ” so sternly 
that they let it be, and were content to watch it. 
And that wonderful chick grew and put out pin 
feathers, a tiny pair of spurs and a wee comb right 


The Piper from Tokio 147 

before their astonished eyes. Then almost at once, 
he became a good-sized little Cochin China rooster, 
with a gorgeous comb and beautiful tail feathers, and 
he strutted up and down with the air of a drum 
major. 

To the children's delight he presently lifted up 
his perky head and crowed, as he must have done 
on the battlements in Japan that day, but when Koto 
said something to him that no one understood, he 
stalked back and stood beside the two halves of the 
eggshell. Immediately he began to shrink, and he 
grew smaller and smaller, and when he had dwindled 
to a size to fit the shell, Koto clapped him in it, fitted 
it together and slipped it into' his sleeve without a 
word, then left the room before a single question 
could be asked or even thought of. 

But what a torrent of questions followed his de- 
parture! And Aunt Margaret was besieged to ex- 
plain Koto's magic. 

“ I cannot explain it," the good lady was com- 
pelled to confess ; “ but I think he makes us see what 
he wishes us to, although the things we think we 
see are not there." 


148 The Piper from Tokio 

The gentle old rector shook his head disapprov- 
ingly when they turned to him for his opinion. 

“ I can only say with the minister of state, my 
dears, that there may have been a rooster.” 

After the elder people had left the Inn, Bob ran 
off to find his friend, to see if he could wheedle out 
of him the secret of his black art, as Dorothy called 
it. The little girls immediately began to pretend 
that they were princesses shut up in an old castle, 
but Dorothy and Molly were constrained and ill at 
ease. Dorothy had apologised for her rudeness, 
but Molly felt very keenly the snub administered to 
her little sister and herself. Aunt Margaret had 
dressed the little girl in an entire outfit of Dorothy’s, 
even to one of her prettiest dresses, while her own 
clothes were hung out to dry. Molly fingered the 
dainty ruffles and the soft sash, and felt as if the 
dress and the girl did not fit, somehow. 

“ I don’t see how it is,” she finally volunteered, 
“ that the girls in the city always have such pretty 
dresses. Don’t you have any old ones for rainy 
days, or when you do chores? Why, we buy just 


The Piper from Tokio 149 

plain calico to wear round, and keep our best things 
to put on when we go to church, or to the town.” 

“ Mother buys our things,” said Dorothy, eyeing 
Molly strangely ; “ but it must be nice to have some 
homely clothes once in a while and be able to forget 
not to muss them. We have to be careful even when 
we play, because we can have but just so many white 
aprons in the wash, and we have to keep them spot- 
less. The girls in school call us the children from 
‘ Spotless Town/ and it’s dreadfully trying, but 
we’ve got used to it.” 

“ Of course,” said Molly promptly. “Now I 
feel just like a doll in a store window. I wouldn’t 
darst to play in this dress. But I must remember 
how it is made, and I shouldn’t wonder if mother 
could make Jennie’s pink gingham like this, without 
the trimming, though. Girls in our village don’t 
begin to wear lace and things until they are in the 
sixth reader and have been to the opera house just 
once, anyway. You can always tell the minute one 
of them has been, because she will quirk her little 
fingers and kinder screw when she walks, and bat her 


150 The Piper from Tokio 

eyes like a colt when you think you’ve got it cor- 
nered in the pasture.” 

“ Have you ever seen a play?” asked Dorothy. 
“ I’ve seen one in the grandest theatre.” 

“ No, but we have plays of our own in the barn, 
just the same. And we have a real curtain that lets 
up and down, and a stage and footlights made of 
candles. They don’t sound very fine, but they are, 
though. We have ever so many plays, and we are 
practising a new one now about a ghost, and it’s so 
real and terrible that we are all afraid to go up to bed 
in the dark afterwards. But we don’t let on, because 
our mothers would make us stop it.” 

“ Oh, how lovely ! ” sighed Dorothy enviously. 
“ I am just as fond of acting as I can be, but I never 
have a chance to act as hard as I’d like to. The 
children laugh when I get too tragic and giggle 
when I’m the heroine and wring my hands and 
plead with the villain to spare my life.” 

“ I like the singing parts best, and I’m always 
the primer donner when we have one. And I love 
to sweep out and bow my haughty head to the 
audience, and stand and look inspired when the 


The Piper from Tokio 1 5 1 

orchestra plays. It’s just a jew’s harp, but it does. 
And then when I sing the audience sits enraptured, 
and, of course, I get encores, and then I run out and 
nod playfully, the way they say actors do, and that 
pleases the people a9 much as the music.” 

“ Did you ever write a play? ” whispered Dorothy, 
confidingly. 

“ No,” breathed back Molly, her eyes wide with 
incredulity; “did you?” 

“ Yes, and I’ve got it upstairs in my trunk. But 
you mustn’t ever tell. Nobody ever thought of 
putting such a story into a play before, and what do 
you think it is ? ” 

“ I cannot guess, unless it’s Mary, Queen of 
Scots.” 

“ You are getting pretty warm,” laughed Dorothy ; 
“ it’s about Queen Elizabeth. Not the cruel, wicked 
queen that cut off Mary’s head, but when she was 
jolly and merry and played she was just like other 
people, the way Marie Antoinette did. There is a 
part where she dances 1 the Spanish Panic ’ in the 
garden to a whistle, and I asked my dancing teacher 
to show me how to do it, and then I put it in the 


152 The Piper from Tokio 

play. Oh, there are the most beautiful ladies in it 
in ruffs and farthingales, only I don’t know exactly 
what they are, but they sound lovely.” 

“ How much you know about history,” said 
Molly admiringly. 

“ I’ve read a good deal,” said Dorothy modestly, 
“ and I’ve learned the queen’s part myself, so if we 
ever can act it, why I will know the hardest part. I 
wish you could play in it, too. You could sing, you 
know, before the queen, and she’d give you a price- 
less jewel and say, ‘ by my halidom, what a lark 
we have here ! ’ and then your fortune would be 
made.” 

“ How can you think it all out, Dorothy? Isn’t 
it too wonderful.” 

“ Oh, it isn’t finished yet, for I can only write on 
Saturdays and occasionally; but I get so excited 
over it sometimes that I really cry and feel as if the 
people were truly real.” 

“If that’s the way you feel, then you’re a born 
writer. They all do that. Mother said so. And 
they can make believe as well as children can.” 

" Do you really think so ? ” asked Dorothy 


The Piper from Tokio 153 

eagerly. “ You are so encouraging, Molly; I’m 
glad I told you/' 

“ Wouldn’t it be nice when we are grown up, if 
you would write a play and I could sing in it ? And 
you could sit in the audience and see me.” 

“ But I would have to go on the stage, too, so I 
could go out with you when the people applauded, 
and we’d take hold of hands and bow together to 
the audience.” 

“ There’s an audience waiting for you in the sit- 
ting-room,” interrupted Bob mischievously, “ and 
Aunt Margaret sent me after you. She wants some 
Sunday hymns before supper, and you’re to come- 
right off. I’ll race you to the porch, if you’ll start 

ff 


even.' 


CHAPTER VIII 


A DANCE AND A DINNER 

O NE morning, not long after that eventful 
Sunday, Aunt Margaret announced at the 
breakfast table that she and grandma were going 
to New York on the following day, to be gone 
three days. 

“ And ,” she went on smiling at the astonished 
faces, “ we have decided to let Dorothy keep house 
for you while we are away, that is, she may do the 
cooking for you children in the Inn, and Harriet 
will lend her the necessary dishes and give her the 
things she wishes to prepare for the meals. Koto 
will sleep in the guest chamber down stairs, so that 
he may act as guardian at night, and, of course, he 
will be your companion during the day.” 

“ Oh, do you mean, Aunt Margaret,” asked Dor- 
othy eagerly, “ that I may make waffles for breakfast 
all by myself, and omelets and things ? ” 

“Of course,” replied Aunt Margaret; “and the 
i54 


A Dance and a Dinner 155 

girls will do all they can to assist you, I know. 
Besides, Harriet will lend a helping hand, and will 
be delighted to give advice if you ask for it.” 

“ Oh, how jolly! ” cried the four children; “ and 
we can have a truly Inn, and maybe somebody will 
come and ask for lodgings and dinner.” 

“ I’ll begin to study that recipe-book this very 
day and decide what I will want to cook,” added 
Dorothy. “ I shall have the most beautiful time 
trying different things. Molly said the other day 
that every girl ought to know how to do one thing 
well, so that she could earn her living at it if she 
had to some time.” 

“ And would you like to be a cook, Dorothy ? ” 
asked grandma quizzically. 

“ Not a real kitcheny cook, but I might go about 
teaching other women how to do it, and show them, 
if they study it right, that they don’t need to make 
such a fuss over it. And how they can keep them- 
selves as neat and clean and sweet as Molly says her 
mother does. Molly calls her a dainty cook, and 
that’s what I’m going to be, I guess, as long as I 
have to be something.” 


156 A Dance and a Dinner 

“ Molly’s mother has invited you to visit the girls 
for a few days after we come from camp, and I 
think it would be nice for you to go, Dorothy. They 
live on a regular farm, and I know you would enjoy 
it. But now, come, and we will go to the pantry 
and make out a list of the things you are to take to 
the Inn.” 

The morning passed very quickly to Dorothy, 
who trotted busily about and jingled her keys with 
a true housewifely air. The little girls helped to 
carry the dishes to the Inn and assisted Dorothy in 
arranging them on the shelves. A large square table 
was placed under the Japanese umbrella in place of 
the tiny tea table which was pushed back against 
the wall, and a snowy linen cloth was left for Dor- 
othy to spread on it as soon as she was ready to 
begin her first dinner. Lydia and Mildred were told 
that they would find some old finery in the attic, in 
which they might dress up and make believe, when 
they grew tired of playing in the Inn. Nobody was 
to go near the river until Aunt Margaret came back, 
and Koto was to be everywhere at once and keep 
things harmonious. 


A Dance and a Dinner 157 

It was with many misgivings that Aunt Margaret 
drove away with grandma in the early morning, 
and she glanced back at the house as if she were 
very loath to leave her little guests. All the way 
to New York she kept wishing she was back again, 
and nobody knows how many anxious thoughts she 
sent flying to the Inn. 

Dorothy was up betimes 1 and had the fire made and 
the waffle iron piping hot before the children were 
even dressed. The red recipe book was propped 
open with the tea strainer, and she had read the 
directions, for making waffles so many times that 
she knew them 1 by heart, and sang the words to a 
merry tune, and stirred the batter vigorously in 
time to it : 

“ One quart of flour, one-third cup of butter, 
sweet milk enough to make a batter; three eggs, 
white and yolk beaten separately, and add a little 
salt and two teaspoonfuls of baking powder.” 

The first ones were scenting the whole house with 
their delicious brown smell, when Bob came dash- 
ing into the kitchen sniffing delightedly as he ran. 

“ Oh, I say, Dor, you’re a brick to give us waffles 


158 A Dance and a Dinner 

the first thing. Make a lot of them, will you? and 
give us all the butter they’ll hold. Good, you’ve 
filled the syrup jug clear up to the brim. Whew, 
that’s great, I say! What else have you got for 
breakfast?” peeping beneath the cover of a dish 
sitting on the back of the stove — “ Scrambled eggs 
and warmed-over biscuit? They’re good enough 
for me, if they will only crunch when I bite them.” 

“ I’ll fill the milk cups, Dorothy,” cried Mildred, 
running in with her dress still unfastened. And 
Lydia, spying the dish of peaches on the table, 
begged to be allowed to sprinkle them with sugar 
after they were cut up. 

“ I’ll make them look like snow mountains, Dor- 
othy, and put enough sugar on them so that they 
will leave powder rims around our mouths when we 
eat them.” 

“ Here, let me turn that spit or whatever you call 
that waffle thing. You’re getting as red as fire, Dor, 
and you’ve burned every finger already, I know.” 

But Dorothy hurried to place a plate of the nicely 
browned waffles on the table to keep the children 
away from the fire until she had finished. Of 


A Dance and a Dinner 159 

course, the waffles were tough, but with lots of 
butter and oceans of syrup, they were eatable, and 
the rest of the breakfast was very nice. 

“ Don’t apologise for them, Dor,” mumbled Bob, 
speaking with his mouth full ; “ we’ll eat them and 
call them good, too. Harriet has been making them 
for a century, and you’ve just begun, so there’s got 
to be a difference. What are you going to have for 
dinner? It doesn’t matter what if there’s plenty of 
it, and we can have all we want without asking for 
it.” 

Harriet very thoughtfully sent over about eleven 
o’clock to know if the little girls would like a bit of 
lunch before dinner was ready. Of course they had 
only milk and cookies, and they did not tell Dorothy 
that the good woman feared they had not made out 
a breakfast. She helped with the steak at dinner 
time and generously added some baked potatoes to 
the menu for the Inn. Then afterwards she sent 
Koto over with some ice-cold custard baked in 
pretty cups and covered with meringue as light as 
foam and as tender. 

“ Oh, Harriet,” groaned Dorothy that afternoon, 


160 A Dance and a Dinner 

“ it’s the dishwashing that is so hard. It takes so 
long and there are so many. I just don’t see why 
we have to have them. I don’t have time to read 
or play, because it’s just time to get something ready 
for dinner. But, thank goodness, I’m going to 
have everything cold for supper to-night. I hope 
Aunt Margaret won’t stay but the three days, be- 
cause the children will always be hungry and keep 
thinking of new dishes they want me to make all 
the time. And I’ve got to have waffles to-morrow 
again because Bob says I ought to make one really 
good batch before I stop.” 

“ Never mind, miss,” comforted Harriet, “ I’m 
baking to-morrow morning and I’ll help out with 
things for you, too.” 

Dorothy was glad to idle away a little time that 
afternoon, and she read herself to sleep in the ham- 
mock, and did not hear the arrival of an unexpected 
guest at the house. This gentleman had suddenly 
appeared with a note from Aunt Margaret request- 
ing Koto to entertain her friend for one night and 
to help him 1 off in time to catch the express the 
following morning. Koto had fingered the note 


A Dance and a Dinner 161 

nervously, and he eyed the stranger long and doubt- 
fully, but his appearance was in his favour and the 
note could not be ignored. So the stranger was 
duly installed in the guest chamber, but he did not 
know that the wily Japanese slept on a cot placed 
across the doorway of that room and no one could 
pass without first waking him. There was no trace 
of the precaution in the morning, however, and no 
one was the wiser. Koto invented many duties to 
keep him in the front of the house, and he was dis- 
tressed until the man took his departure early in 
the morning. He did not visit the Inn, or pay any 
attention to the children, who ran against him when 
he was coming down stairs as noiselessly as a tabby 
cat. And he went away without anyone knowing 
why he came or whither he went. 

After his departure, Koto hurried to the Inn with 
some slips of closely written paper, which. he gave 
to the children to look over. On each slip was a 
description of one of the characters in the little 
play of which he had spoken, and the lines each 
child was to learn by heart. 

“ It’s very simple, you see, children, and the story 


162 A Dance and a Dinner 

of the play tells itself as you speak. I will go over 
it with you when you have learned your lines, and 
I am going to get Miss Dorothy to teach Miss 
Lydia the words she is to recite. Now remember, 
not a word to anybody until the time comes and we 
are quite ready.” 

Leaving Dorothy engrossed in her preparations 
for dinner, the little girls ran off to the attic to dress 
up in the finery Aunt Margaret had left for them, 
and to their delight they found two evening dresses 
with long trains and innumerable flounces, which 
they immediately put on. They pinned up the front 
of the skirts, and Mildred draped over Lydia’s shoul- 
ders a scarlet silk shawl, over which something had 
been spilled, though there were parts that looked 
very nice indeed. Over her own blue waist she tied 
an old chiffon fichu she had rescued from the piece 
bag. It was considerably rumpled, but when she 
tied it quite tight it looked very stylish, or so she 
thought, falling over the green satin skirt. Lydia’s 
costume was of pink silk, with a ruffle of some fluffy 
material, and she kicked her little feet in and out be- 
neath it just to see it ripple. In a huge bandbox 


A Dance and a Dinner 163 

Mildred found a bunch of blue feathers, which she 
immediately fastened in Lydia’s hair, and on her 
own blond head she placed a shabby velvet hat, on 
which she had fastened two long peacock feathers. 

“ Now, I’m the Queen of Sheba,” she announced, 
sweeping around the garret with her trailing robes, 
“ and you are Lady Jane Grey before she had her 
head cut off. So you must make believe you are 
very beautiful and everybody wants you to wear a 
crown some day. Why, what is this ? ” she ex- 
claimed suddenly, stopping to pick up a small leather 
bag she had spied beneath the leg of a table. “ It’s 
a pocket bag and I’ll use it for my handkerchief,” 
and she opened it and dumped the contents into her 
lap as she sat on the attic stairs. 

To her amazement, a heap of sparkling jewellery 
fell out. There were two necklaces, one of pearl and 
another of glittering stones. There were rings, too, 
and some pretty pins, and Lydia immediately hung 
the necklaces over her scarlet shawl and slipped a 
ring on every finger. 

“ They are not truly gold,” said Mildred, “ or 
they would not be in the attic, so we will just play 


164 A Dance and a Dinner 

with them anyway. I guess, though, I’d better tie 
these rings on, they are so awful loose. ,, So with 
some pink cord which she tied to each ring, she 
made a bracelet around Lydia’s dimpled wrist. 
Then she decked her faded fichu with the pins, and 
they started off to make calls. 

Down the path, out into the road, and along 
under the shady trees walked these two strange little 
figures. The nodding grasses brushed their silken 
skirts and the dust, in spite of their precautions, 
marred the edges of the flounces. The briers of 
some stray blackberry bushes caught the chiffon 
fichu, and scratched the satin skirt viciously as 
Mildred picked the few berries left on the bushes. 

“I don’t believe any of our friends will be at 
home at this time of day, Lady Jane,” said the 
Queen of Sheba, whose mouth was all stained with 
berry juice. 

“ I don’t mind much,” replied Lady Jane, who 
was struggling bravely to carry her heavy train out 
of the dust. Her little face was growing very pink, 
for the sun was warm and her nodding plumes 
afforded no shade whatever. 


A Dance and a Dinner 165 

“ There’s a seat down by the bridge, Lady Jane, 
so keep right on till we come to it. We may find 
somebody there and have a chance to talk about the 
news.” 

So they sat down on the old wooden bench with- 
out a back and carried on an animated conversation 
with some ultra fashionables who had just returned 
from Europe and had been to the theatre and ridden 
in the park. They admired the beautiful dresses 
and new jewels right from “ Paree,” although Mil- 
dred had to confess that she did not bring them over 
herself. 

“ One of my friends, you see, Mrs. Bridges, goes 
over every week, and she brought me these pins 
the last time she went. And Lady Jane’s rings are 
like the new ones the queen has. Of course, I’m 
a queen, too, but I have to come to visit my plain 
relatives sometimes, and that’s the reason we are 
walking this morning instead of having our own 
coach with the white horses.” 

“And do you know, Mrs. Bridges,” simpered 
Lydia, “ that I’m going on the stage to be a great 
actress? We have a new act all ready and we’ll send 


1 66 A Dance and a Dinner 

you some tickets, as they will be so dear I don’t 
think you can afford to buy them. Everybody will 
be there, so wear you loveliest clothes and be sure 
and take your spyglass so you can see my wonder- 
ful gowns. I have had seven new ones, and one of 
them is blue plush trimmed with white fur, and I 
wear a bonnet with it.” 

“ Oh, yes,” went on Mildred, “ tell her about the 
most wonderful genii that turned your plate into a 
looking-glass because you are so beautiful, and about 
the carriage he made for you that goes without 

horses, and ” .listening a minute, “ here it 

comes, I do declare.” 

And sure enough, the whirr of an automobile was 
heard in the distance and in a very few minutes a 
gorgeous motor carriage came noiselessly into view. 
At the sight of the children seated by the roadside, 
the young man who was the sole occupant, stopped 
his machine and gave a low whistle of astonishment. 
Then he courteously lifted his, hat and the children 
immediately arose and courtesied in their best danc- 
ing school manner. 


A Dance and a Dinner 167 

“ May I ask, ladies,” he inquired politely, “ if 
you have seen a lady on horseback pass here lately ? ” 

“ Not since we’ve been sitting here. We’ve just 
come, too,” said Mildred. 

“ Did you come far ? ” he asked gravely ; “ and 
did you walk? ” 

“ We came from the Apple Tree Inn,” smirked 
Mildred, “ and we’re making calls this morning. 
My sister, Lady Jane Grey, is getting acquainted 
with my friends before she goes to Europe.” 

“ Lady Jane Grey ? ” in surprised tones ; “ indeed, 
I am delighted to see her. And may I ask if you 


“ I am the Queen of Sheba, and don’t amount to 
anything very much. Still I’m somebody,” said 
Mildred candidly. 

“ It would be a great privilege, your Excellency, 
if you would permit me to take you home. I am 
simply riding around to keep my auto in order, 
and ” 

“ Shall we go ? ” whispered Mildred ; “ you know 
auntie said we were not to talk to strangers.” 


1 68 A Dance and a Dinner 

“ I don’t care,” and Lydia tossed her plumed 
head, “ I’m going. It’s too hot to walk, besides I’ve 
pretended until I’m so warm,” and she lifted her 
silken skirts, and followed by Mildred, ran toward 
the auto, from which the young man instantly 
sprang to assist them. He helped them in and, to 
their intense satisfaction, they went whizzing off 
along the road just as they always had wished they 
might. Lydia’s faded feathers were tossed and 
blown about and they stood triumphantly erect when 
the young man slowed up opposite the entrance of 
an estate. 

“ My name is Jack Spenser, ladies,” he said 
politely, “ and I live here at the Towers with my 
mother. Now, she is at home this morning, if you 
would like to include her in your calling list, and 
I’m sure she would be charmed to see you. Shall 
we ride in? ” 

“What do you think, Lydia?” 

“ Of course, Mildred, we are to go. He is a 
neighbour, and Aunt Margaret didn’t know he would 
like to know us, or she would not have said not to 
be friendly to anybody she did not know. Besides,” 


A Dance and a Dinner 169 

looking sideways at the young man, “ I think he is 
as nice as anything.” 

Then on they went, through the driveway and 
along the well-kept road under arching trees. Here, 
the air was sweet and cool and the auto ran so 
smoothly and slowly that they had time to chat a 
little before they reached the house. 

“ Wouldn’t Dorothy enjoy this, though,” said Mil- 
dred happily. “She’s at home getting dinner ready 
this morning. Aunt Margaret has gone to New 
York and we do our own cooking now.” 

“ And Koto is so funny,” giggled Lydia. “ He 
thinks he knows how to play mother and he don’t 
like to tell us we mustn’t do things, so he says, ‘ You 
would be conferring a favour, missy, if you would 
kindly get at something else.’ ” 

“ And who is Koto ? ” asked Mr. Spenser, who 
looked so sober and yet had such smiling eyes. 

“He’s Aunt Margaret’s Japanese,” explained 
Mildred, “ and he knows how to do everything and 
he’s so terribly polite.” 

“ Why, what do you think ? ” chatted Lydia ; “ he 
can make apple trees grow right before your eyes 


170 ' A Dance and a Dinner 

and hatch roosters in five minutes, and shrinks them 
and put them back in the shell again.” 

“ Goodness ! ” exclaimed Mr. Spenser, looking 
doubtfully at Lydia. “ Who is he, anyhow ? ” 

“ Why, he’s just a heathen, and he waits on the 
table and plays with us. He doesn’t have to eat in 
the kitchen either, for he has a little table in his own 
room. I asked him once if he knew his catechism 
by heart and he screwed up his face and said: ‘ We 
do not to have to say those “shall not ” command- 
ments in my country; we have to say that we shall 
do things.’ What’s the difference ? Do you know ? ” 

“ Here we are at the house,” exclaimed Mr. 
Spenser, and, as the auto stopped he called out 
cheerily to an old lady who - was sitting on the ver- 
anda : “ I’ve brought some famous ladies to call, 
mother. I trust you are in a condition to receive 
royalty this morning.” 

And when the old lady came forward smiling, 
he gravely introduced the Queen of Sheba and 
Lady Jane Grey. 

“ Delighted, I’m sure,” she said cordially, and in 
a minute or two the children were comfortably 





A Dance and a Dinner 171 

ensconced in huge rocking chairs and were sipping 
the most delicious lemonade. At first they were 
shy and somewhat abashed at the smiles on the 
faces of the young ladies who hurried from the 
house to be introduced to them, but when the sound 
of a softly-played piano in one of the rooms caught 
Lydia’s ear she said at once : 

“ Oh, there’s some music, Mildred ; and we 
haven’t heard any for so long.” 

“ Do you play, or anything? ” asked Mr. Spenser, 
watching the children’s bright faces. 

“ No, but we never get tired hearing playing, 
’cept,” and she sighed, “ when Mildred has to prac- 
tise.” 

“ Tell Madge to play something jolly,” whispered 
Mr. Spenser to one of the younger girls, and in a 
second there came floating out to the porch the 
catching rhythm of the gayest dance in the world. 
Lydia’s eyes sparkled with delight and she nodded 
her plumed head in perfect time. “ Oh,” she cried, 
“ wouldn’t I just like to dance that!” 

“ Come, come,” exclaimed the girls, “ we’ll clear 
a place for you. Can you dance, either of you? ” 


172 A Dance and a Dinner 

“ Why,” said Lydia reproachfully, “ we go to 
dancing school and can dance the minuet and the 
two-step and the ” 

“ Get up this minute, then, and do the minuet for 
us. Madge will play it. The parlor floor has been 
waxed this very morning. 

So the children gathered up their trains and fol- 
lowed the ladies into the house, and soon they were 
dancing, with pleasure beaming in every feature. 
To and fro they slowly moved, back and forth in 
perfect step with the measured rhythm of the 
stately dance. Their courtesies would have done 
credit to a professional, and Lydia tripped about on 
her dainty toes in the most fetching way imagin- 
able. She dimpled and coquetted with her partner, 
and bowed with such grace that no one would have 
believed the dance had not been specially rehearsed. 
And the children made a pretty picture in the dim, 
cool room, with their soft silk dresses, whose gay 
colours reflected brightly in the long mirrors hang- 
ing at each end of the apartment. 

Scarcely had they stopped, flushed and breathless 
and smiling sweetly at the generous applause of the 


A Dance and a Dinner 173 

onlookers, when a young girl came into the room and 
looked carelessly at them. Then, spying the glitter- 
ing necklace which lay sparkling on Lydia’s red silk 
shawl and the pink stringed rings on her tiny fingers, 
she sprang forward with a cry : “ Where, oh, where, 
did you get them ? ” and the others crowded around 
as she dropped on her knees beside the frightened 
child. 

“ Why,” stammered Lydia, “ we got them at 
home.” 

“ Take them off,” she commanded, “ they are 
mine.” 

“ I wouldn’t alarm the little girl, Miss Best,” said 
Mr. Spenser, quietly taking Lydia’s hand in his. 
“ Suppose Madge and I go home with the Queen of 
Sheba and Lady Jane Grey and bring the trink- 
ets back after they have finished playing with 
them.” 

“ But they were stolen ” 

“ Hush,” said Mrs. Spenser, “ these children are 
nieces of one of our neighbours, and had nothing to 
do with the robbery. Of course, it is strange that 
they should have these things, but Madge and Jack 


174 A Dance and a Dinner 

will find out all about it for you. I do not wish to 
have the little girls frightened.” 

Of course, the children knew something was 
wrong with the jewellery they had on, and they were 
very quiet and troubled all the way home. When 
Koto came running to help them from the auto, 
Madge took him aside and spoke rapidly in an un- 
dertone. 

“ Please find out at once where the children found 
the jewels they are wearing with their play dresses. 
They said they found them in the attic, but we have 
every reason to believe they belong to a guest in our 
house who was robbed night before last. I am at 
loss to know how they came to be in this house. I 
will take them back with me, I think.” 

“ I do not know, Madam. Mrs. De Long is away 
from home and I could not let anything be taken 
from the house during her absence. The children 
shall put the jewels just where they found them and 
we must wait until Madam returns.” 

“ Will you, then, be responsible for the safety of 
the gems ? ” 

“ I will be responsible, Madam.” 


A Dance and a Dinner 


175 


“ Very well. You hear. Jack,” turning to her 
brother, who still sat in the auto, “ this man will hold 
himself responsible for Mary's things. Very well,” 
to Koto. “ And now we are going over to see the 
Inn.” 

The children scampered off at once to the attic, 
where they stripped themselves of their finery, and 
Mildred carefully replaced the necklace, rings and 
pins in the leather bag and gave it to Koto, who had 
followed them. 

“ I will keep it safely,” he said. “ And now, little 
ladies, run off at once and forget all about it.” 

When they reached the Inn, they found Madge 
and her brother chatting gaily with Bob and Doro- 
thy, who still had on her cooking apron and pretty 
muslin cap, and Dorothy was saying : 

“ I'll have to go to the kitchen, but Bob will show 
you the Inn gladly,” and she explained how Aunt 
Margaret had let her keep house while she was gone 
because she loved to cook and be busy. 

“ There's not another place like it in all the 
world,” exclaimed Mr. Spenser, “ and your dinner 
smells remarkably good, Miss Dorothy.” 


176 A Dance and a Dinner 

Dorothy laughed and hurried away, for something 
was boiling over with a terrible splutter, and the 
chicken in the skillet sputtered threateningly, because 
the fire was too hot. The new friends wandered 
about the Inn and read the verses with keen delight. 

“ I cannot improve on them, but I can add one,” 
said Mr. Spenser, and taking out his pencil he wrote 
something on a card which he handed to Bob, who 
took it at once to Dorothy in the kitchen: 

“ In the Inn of the Apple Tree, 

There lives a cook who’s fair to see. 

Her savoury dishes smell so good, 

How I wish, oh, that she would, 

Share her dinner with a man who’s as hungry as can be.” 

Dorothy peeped shyly out of the door and said 
hospitably: “ We'd be glad if you would both stay, 
but you see, I’m afraid you ought to wait and let 
Harriet cook dinner.” 

“ Nonsense,” cried the young people, “ we’ll come 
and help and have the jolliest kind of a meal.” 

“ Oh, then,” exclaimed Dorothy, “ do you know 
how to make the gravy that goes with fried 
chicken ? ” 


A Dance and a Dinner 177 

“ Yes, I do, and I’ll come out and show you,” and 
Miss Madge slipped out to the kitchen and spied the 
mirror with the verse at the first glance. “ I’ll copy 
it to use in my own kitchen if I ever have one,” she 
said, smiling knowingly at Dorothy. 

Lydia was at once dispatched to Harriet to ask 
for more butter and bread, and in addition she sent 
a dish of her very best pickled watermelon. Mildred 
was asked to set two other places at the table and 
they were pretty crowded when all sat down. But 
they had a jolly time and the chicken was delicious 
enough to suit even a Marylander. The corn was 
sweet and tender, and the potatoes were creamed and 
flaked until they looked like a heap of snow. Har- 
riet sent Koto over with a newly baked squash pie to 
help out with the dessert of peaches and cream. And 
when nobody could eat another mouthful, they sat 
and told stories until a queer scratching at the front 
door made Mr. Spenser start, and, looking at his 
sister he laughed and said : 

“ It’s my collie, Wag, Miss Dorothy. He follows 
me, no matter where I go, and I was wondering if 
he was not nearly due here.” 


178 A Dance and a Dinner 

Of course, Wag had all the chicken bones that a 
dog could possibly wish, and while he sat and 
crunched them he was surrounded by an admiring 
circle. Presently, Koto came along and when he 
stopped to speak to the beautiful animal, the dog 
dropped his bone at the sound of his voice, and 
sprang erect with every hair bristling along his 
tawny back. Then, with a bound, he sprang upon 
the Japanese and placing his paws on his shoulders 
licked his face rapturously. Finding himself re- 
pulsed, however, he dropped at Koto’s side and laid 
his head lovingly against his feet. 

“ How very queer ! ” remarked Mr. .Spenser to 
Koto. “ He has never done that to anyone but me 
before. Have you ever seen Wag before? But, 
of course not. He was only a puppy when he came 
from Scotland, and for two years he has been with 
me constantly.” 

“What part of Scotland?” asked Koto quietly, 
patting the dog’s head kindly. 

“ From Paisley. He belonged to a farmer who 
raised sheep and also bred shepherd dogs.” 

“ Indeed,” replied Koto, his eyes sparkling. 


A Dance and a Dinner 179 

“ Two years and a half ago I was at Paisley and it 
was in the winter time. I was travelling with a 
lord, a very high one indeed, and when we arrived 
at that station there was no one to meet us, and, as 
he insisted upon going to find the house to which we 
were bound, we secured some horses and rode out 
in one of the worst snow storms I have ever seen. 
After we had ridden miles, we came upon a few 
sheep huddled against a fence for shelter and near 
them on the ground, nearly covered with snow, lay a 
young collie who had been disabled In some way. I 
have been fond of dogs always, so I lifted him to my 
saddle and let him nestle against me as we rode. 
Finally we succeeded in finding a farm house and 
there we stayed three days, snow bound. 

“ During that time the dog and I became fast 
friends and I hated to leave him when we came 
away. It scarcely seems possible that Wag can be 
that dog, but I can soon tell, however.” Taking his 
reed pipe from his pocket he began to play softly, 
“ All the Blue Bonnets are over the Border,” and at 
the first note the dog leaped to his feet, barking 
furiously as Koto played louder and with spirit. He 


i8o A Dance and a Dinner 

darted about under the trees and circled around the 
Japanese with his plumed tail erect and his eyes 
questioning eagerly. 

“ That,” said Koto presently, “ is the air the 
farmer used when it was time for the dogs to round 
up the sheep, and Wag evidently remembers it after 
all.” 

And so he did. And not only remembered the 
rescue from the cold and the snow, but repaid it dou- 
ble fold as everybody will see. 


CHAPTER IX 


THE BOY AND THE BURGLAR 

T HE moon had been shining brightly into 
Bob’s bedroom when Koto slipped into his 
accustomed place beside the little bed. And the 
tired boy had dozed off to sleep with his eyes full of 
moonlight and with Koto’s softly spoken words, 
“ there’s nothing in this beautiful world to fear,” 
whispering in his drowsy ears. 

Tired to death with his day’s work and his respon- 
sibilities, Koto tumbled into his own bed and slept a 
deep heavy sleep that dulled his ears to the cautious 
opening of a window somewhere in the quiet house, 
the stealthy footsteps on the stairs and the muffled 
closing of a door. 

But Bob, awakened by that vague something that 
knows no name, sat up suddenly in bed, looked fear- 
fully around his now darkened room and sleepily 
muttered, “ What’s that?” As if in answer to his 

question, the something moving outside in the hall 
181 


1 82 The Boy and the Burglar 

brushed against his door, and in an instant he was 
awake, alert and of course, alarmed. He waited a 
second or two and then hearing the sound of a 
closing door, sprang out of bed and opened his own 
door just a crack to see who could possibly have gone 
into Aunt Margaret’s room opposite. A faint streak 
of light shone under the door, and, wondering if 
Harriet had gone there for something, he waited to 
see when she came out. But she was so long and 
the light seemed to burn so steadily that he finally 
stepped out into the hall and listened with his ear 
against the crack of the door. Then came a queer 
clicking sound which he seemed to have heard before 
though he could not quite remember where. Click- 
click-whir-r. Where had he heard that funny noise 
in Aunt Margaret’s room before? Then there was 
the sound of something heavy falling and everything 
was quiet for a few minutes. Then the click and 
whir-r began again. 

“ Oh,” gasped Bob, suddenly, “ it’s the safe. 
Somebody’s turning the lock and the letters are fall- 
ing. I saw Aunt Margaret open it once. But who 
can it be ? ” 


The Boy and the Burglar 183 

For an instant Bob stood irresolute. What should 
he do anyway ? Call Koto, of course ; but suppose 
while he was stealing downstairs the somebody 
should come out of the room and get away in the 
dark ? Then, quick as a thought, Bob darted away 
into his room, caught up a rope with which Koto 
had been teaching him to splice, and quickly tying a 
noose in one end he stepped- back into the hall, 
slipped the loop over the door handle and then 
fastened it securely around his own door knob. Any 
attempt to open the opposite door would only hold 
it faster as the noose would tighten at the first pull. 

Then downstairs he sped to shake Koto franti- 
cally, and before the Japanese was fairly awake he 
was scrabbling into his clothes and listening to the 
excited account of the trap which was holding the 
unconscious burglar. Then, with grim' determina- 
tion that boded ill for the man, Koto walked quietly 
upstairs, and, of course, in the dark, ran against the 
rope and so shook the door handle violently. In an 
instant the light disappeared and no sound was 
heard from the room. Supposing that Bob was 
quaking with fear in the hall below and wishing to 


184 The Boy and the Burglar 

dispose of the thief before the children were fright- 
ened, he whispered softly : 

“ Bob, will you ring for John to come down from 
the loft? ” 

But there was no reply from the darkness below, 
and with a shake of his head, the Japanese at once 
planned a trick by which he could secure the man 
alone. So he waited and watched, and after a while 
he heard the door handle turn softly and warily, but 
of course, the rope resisted and the door would not 
open. Then after a long silence the light re-ap- 
peared and the handle was cautiously turned again. 
Then again more vigorously and the rope gave a 
little. A muttered growl was heard through the 
crack of the door which, however, held stout and 
fast. 

Now was Koto’s time. Removing the rope from 
Bob’s door he held it tightly in his own hands, and 
when the next terrific tug came from the occupant 
of the room, he suddenly released it, and the door 
banged back and sent the man sprawling on the 
floor. Before he could spring to his feet, however, 
Koto had his arms pinioned behind his back, and by 


The Boy and the Burglar 185 

the light of the bull’s eye which burned nearby on 
the floor, he twisted the end of the rope about his 
wrists and the man was a prisoner. Then lifting the 
light Koto looked at him and whistled softly. 

“ Oh, ho ! ” he said. “ The friend to spend the 
night. The man with the note. I hope you found 
out all you wanted to know about the house while 
you were here, my quondam guest. I did not ex- 
pect you quite so soon, although I knew you would 
come back for those jewels. You see, your face and 
the cut of your jaw tell secrets. A man is what he 
thinks, my friend, and some people can read faces 
like books ; did you know that ? ” 

Just then the door of the girls’ room opened and 
Harriet, with a coloured handkerchief tied around 
her head, peered cautiously out into the hall. 

“ What’s the matter?” she asked crossly. 
“What are you doing there, Mr. Koto? and who 
are you talking to ? ” 

“ A visitor who comes in the night and carries 
a jimmy with him. Don’t alarm the children, Mrs. 
Harriet. We’ll soon get quieted down.” 

“ Alarm the children ! My laws, they are trying 


1 86 The Boy and the Burglar 

to see through me now. Miss Mildred, you stop! 
You can’t ” shutting the door emphatically. 

“ Come,” said Koto roughly, “ get up and we’ll 
go below. No use frightening the little people.” 

“ Go below? Take me! ” said the man insolently. 

“Yes?” and Koto’s eyes flashed ominously, for 
the man was sneering at the slim little Japanese, who 
seemed so small beside his own bulk and brute 
strength. Whipping a knife from his pocket, Koto 
cut the rope from the door and then cut it again 
close to the man’s wrists. Then quickly straight- 
ening the man’s legs, he tied his feet together with 
the remaining piece. 

“ Now,” he said grimly, “ you’ll be taken.” 

Bracing himself steadily, he suddenly stooped and 
caught the man under his arms and lifted him to 
his feet, and before the astonished fellow realised 
where he was, Koto had flung him across his back 
and was going slowly and carefully downstairs. 
And Harriet, whose curiosity had got the better 
of her, came out into the hall followed by the three 
girls in their nightdresses, and obligingly held the 
bull’s eye to light him to the very bottom step. The 


The Boy and the Burglar 187 

little girls peeped cautiously over the rail at the 
man sitting in the hall chair where Koto had placed 
him. And when the hall lamp was finally lighted 
they drew back abashed by the angry sullen face 
which stared at them. 

“ Land,” exclaimed Harriet, “ it’s a wonder that 
we weren’t all murdered in our beds ! ” 

“ Oh, wouldn’t it have been terrible?” and the 
little girls whispered and fluttered and shook their 
heads and curled up their pretty pink toes excitedly. 
Presently Lydia came tiptoeing down a few steps 
and looked over the banisters in a speculative 
way. 

“ I’m going down,” she announced, “ to speak to 
him,” and in spite of Harriet and Dorothy, who re- 
minded her with horror that she was not dressed, 
the child went her way obstinately. Koto had gone 
off for a minute to find the hired man in the exten- 
sion of the house, so that he might go after the 
sheriff. And Lydia tripped across the hall and 
stood in front of the thief with her little face eager 
with the question she wanted to ask. The group on 
the landing watched her as if she had approached 


1 88 The Boy and the Burglar 

some wild animal who might any minute jump up 
with a roar and devour her. 

“ Mr. Thief,” she said softly, “ how did you get 
in?” 

“ Got in the window,” he replied roughly, staring 
at the pretty apparition with sullen eyes. 

“ The dining-room window ? ” 

“ Yes,” sharply. 

“ Did you see any fairies ? ” Lydia whispered 
eagerly, forgetting all about her fear of the fellow. 

“ Nope. Why?” 

“ Because I left the window unfastened so that 
they could get in to-night. I thought surely they 
would come this time.” 

The man laughed. Not a harsh repulsive laugh, 
but a genuine roaring “ ha, ha ! ” that sent the child 
skipping hastily back to the stairs. . 

“ ’Twas a funny kind of a fairy that came, my 
little dear,” he called, “ and your heathen caught so 
neatly. But that is one on me ! A fairy ! By my 
soul, what a joke! ” 

The man was still chuckling when Koto came 
back, annoyed because the hired man had absented 


The Boy and the Burglar 189 

himself without leave, and there was no one to go 
after the officer, which meant an uncomfortable 
night for all of them. But while he stood frowning 
at the man in the chair, he caught the sound of swift 
carriage wheels coming up the drive. Stepping to 
the door, he opened it just as the sheriff and two 
men strode up on the porch, with a gruff : 

“ Where’s the man ? ” 

It was not until the men were about to drive away 
with their prisoner that Koto had a chance to ask 
how they happened to hear of the burglar. 

“ Small boy came to the house and roused us. 
Said he lived here. Wouldn’t come with us, but 
walked back.” 

“ Oh,” was all Koto had to say. 

In a few minutes a hot, dusty, perspiring boy 
stumbled up the steps and into the hall, sat down in 
the chair lately occupied by the burglar, mopped his 
face and ejaculated: 

“ Whew, I’m so warm ! ” 

“ It’s warm work at best, handling burglars,” re- 
marked Koto, coming out of the dining-room, where 
he had been investigating the windows. “ It was 


190 The Boy and the Burglar 

very good of you to go for the sheriff, for I was 
rather bothered to know what to do about the man. 
How did you go? ” 

“ Through Caxton’s woods. Short cut, you 
know. My, but it was dark! And once I was 
scared stiff.” 

Koto smiled. “ I don’t think you need use the 
word scared any more, Bob; you were not really 
frightened.” 

“ Yes, I was, but I stuck it out after I had started. 
The shadows were dreadful and it was as quiet as 
anything.” 

“ Will you stay down with me, Bob, and talk it 
over a little? The girls have gone to bed, but I 
don’t believe any of us will sleep any more to-night.” 

The house was soon quiet again and Bob was 
asleep beside Koto almost before a word had been 
said. But the Japanese stared into the darkness with 
wide open eyes and a queer smile on his face. 

“ The genie was a wise man, and no doubt. The 
plan does work and Bob is coming round like a little 
man. How queer it is, too, that it is only as a child 
is going to sleep that this suggesting can be done. 


The Boy and the Burglar 191 

It’s the last waking thought and it remains in some 
way. Surely it is the strangest idea a man ever 
thought of. I should like to try it in some other 
lines. Maybe I shall sometime, 1 ” and he went on 
smiling in the dark. 

When the children came down in the morning, 
they found that Aunt Margaret and Grandma had 
just arrived and were in a great state of excitement 
over the attempted robbery. The safe was opened 
at once and the jewels were given to Koto, who had 
placed them there for safety, to turn to Mrs. Spen- 
ser. Miss Madge and Mr. Jack came back with 
him in the automobile and then took the children for 
a spin, to give Aunt Margaret time to unpack and 
talk over things with Koto and Harriet. 

Wag sat on the front seat between Bob and Mr. 
Jack, and the three little girls and Miss Madge 
squeezed together on the back seat. They spun 
along the smooth road leaving great trails of dust 
behind them, and when they passed a house or farm 
they stopped and gave a rollicking yell, to which 
Mr. Jack added : “ Ray, ray, ray ! Beech farm’s the 


192 The Boy and the Burglar 

place to stay! We’ll never go away! Ray, ray, 
ray!” 

The quiet country people thought the city folks 
had gone quite mad, and more than one shy lad gave 
a terrified glance and cried, “ Indians ! ” and fled to 
the barn in terror. Wag barked and Mr. Jack 
sounded the horn, and so between them all made 
considerable noise. Poor Wag’s ears gave them all 
great distress, because the wind blew them back 
when the auto sped so swiftly, and finally, Dorothy 
tied her handkerchief over them to keep out the 
dust, and a queer looking object he was to be 
sure. 

Presently Mr. Jack stopped the machine, jumped 
down and, opening one of the long wicker baskets, 
took out the oddest kind of a box covered with red 
paper and tied with red ribbon. Of course, it was 
filled with candy, automobile caramels stuffed with 
nuts and macaroons. Can you imagine anything 
nicer? 

And so, every morning until it was time to go to 
camp, when the children came downstairs in the 
morning, they found Wag, patiently waiting outside 


The Boy and the Burglar 193 

the door with a tiny note in his mouth, asking if 
they could go^ to ride in the “ kid car.” And it took 
all four of them to write the answer, and then Wag 
would go off with it in his mouth with as much im- 
portance as if he was an official messenger. 

Then suddenly, there came one day, the announce- 
ment that the camp was ready, and the children were 
asked to select the books and toys they wished to 
take along. Great hampers of goodies were filled 
and carried to the boats and Koto and two men 
rowed them to the island. After the huge bundles 
of bedding and boxes of dishes and sundry cooking 
things had been transported, Aunt Margaret with 
the children slipped down the river in a boat rowed 
by Mr. Jack, who obligingly stayed and helped put 
things to rights, even to hanging the kettle on two 
forked sticks and a crossed piece. He promised to 
come again and show them how to bake corn bread 
in a pan in the ashes beneath the fire, and in fact he 
managed to find an errand to the island nearly every 
day. 

There were delightful mornings with romps and 
races on the white sand of the little beach, and won- 


194 The Boy and the Burglar 

derful games of make-believe in the caves beneath 
the rocks. When noon came the dining tent was 
the merriest place of all, for the sides of the tent 
were folded back, and except for the canopy over- 
head it was like eating out of doors. The river 
hurried noiselessly by and the trees nodded and 
whispered in sympathy with the gay chatter in the 
tent. Birds flitted from branch to branch, twittering 
and watching with cocked heads for possible stray 
crumbs. Some bold saucy fellows once darted in 
and sat for a few minutes on the back of Aunt Mar- 
garet’s chair, and finally Koto fixed a rod across one 
side where these feathered visitors could wait for tid- 
bits to be tossed to them. These meal times were the 
happiest times of all, for Koto proved himself to be 
a wonderful cook, and the children invaded his little 
canvas kitchen with curiosity and awe. Everything 
was arranged in the oddest way, and right at hand, 
too; and even Aunt Margaret came sometimes, to 
watch the preparation of some strange dish which 
no one but Koto knew how to make. 

“ I am sure, Koto,” said Aunt Margaret, one day 
after the Japanese had served a sweetish dish with 



In the Evenings the Party Gathered Around a Sparkling 
Fire to Hear His Stories 

















































































































































































































































The Boy and the Burglar 195 

a sauce in which floated rosy cherries stuffed with 
nuts, “ that this dish must have come from the place 
of the wonderful rooster, and if we but close our 
eyes there will be nothing here. ,, 

“ No, Madam, this pudding is not conjured; it is 
a wholesome reality.” 

Nearly every day, too, he devised some new 
amusement for them, and in the evenings the party 
gathered around a sparkling fire to hear his stories 
and adventures. And while he talked they roasted 
apples and ears of corn, and fed the fire with pine 
cones to keep it red and hot. 

It was hard to get used to sleeping in the 
little tents which were arranged in a circle around 
an open space. The noise of the crickets and 
toads seemed so very near and strange, and the 
trees and twigs had such a queer way of snapping in 
the stillness. Sometimes the leaves and bushes 
rustled as if something was moving about in the 
dark, but after a night or two everybody went to 
sleep at once and forgot the “ might-be’s ” and the 
shadows. 

Then in the early morning there was such a scamp- 


196 The Boy and the Burglar 

ering of bare feet to the little bathing place, which 
had been screened off for the girls and Aunt Mar- 
garet. And such a splashing and ducking and 
screaming turned the morning bath into a regular 
jollification. 

In the quiet afternoons Koto took the children 
down to a shady part of the beach and heard their 
lines and showed them the way each part must be 
recited in the simple little out-of-door play he had 
written for them. There were only two songs to be 
learned and he played the melodies on his reed pipe 
until they knew them by heart, and could sing them 
with spirit and confidence. Then presently he began 
to clear a place for the tiny theatre, where there was 
to be a platform stage, and comfortable seats for the 
audience. And everybody kept the secret until the 
right time came and we all know how hard it must 
have been to do that. 

One Sunday afternoon the Cap’n and his wife 
came to stay in the woods a day or two, and he got 
Koto to build a raft and poled the children clear 
down the bay and back again just for the fun of it. 
And with him they played Swiss Family Robinson 


The Boy and the Burglar 197 

and were truly wrecked, and Wag, who stayed 
nearly all the time with the Japanese, swam with a 
signal of distress to Koto, who had remained in camp 
that day. It came about in the oddest kind of a 
way and nobody was exactly to blame. 

One day when Koto was too busy to go along, the 
Cap’n thought he could manage the raft alone, so off 
they went, Dorothy, Mildred, Lydia and Wag, with 
the Cap’n poling at the side. They had hoisted an 
old green and white umbrella in the centre of the 
raft and under it sat the girls who were, respectively, 
Mrs. Robinson and her young daughters. They had 
aboard about everything that could possibly be re- 
quired for such a voyage, even the enchanted bag 
was filled with small provisions for emergencies. 
They had a real telescope for watching for vessels 
at sea and for the north star should they happen 
to be moving at night. They also had a lantern, an 
anchor, a speaking trumpet, to say nothing of an air 
rifle should they meet a pirate or savages along the 
shore, and various tins of cookies and apples fur- 
nished refreshment for the crew. The family of 
dolls sat stiffly around the umbrella pole, and, 


198 The Boy and the Burglar 

as they had been on one eventful voyage, they 
did not seem very enthusiastic over the present 
one. 

Everything went well with the raft until at a 
sharp bend of the river, the long pole snapped in a 
most surprising way, and as the Cap’n was not at all 
prepared for this event, he fell headlong into the 
river, while the raft dashed up against a heap of 
rocks and tilted up on one side in a very dangerous 
way. Everybody screamed and the family of 
dolls fell flat on their faces as if they had been 
expecting some such catastrophe long before. The 
little girls, however, sat quite still, but Dorothy and 
Bob sprang to save some of the things, a few of 
which, the telescope and a tin of cookies were rolling 
into the water. Wag had immediately plunged into 
the river after the Cap’n and when they came splash- 
ing onto the raft again the old man was keenly dis- 
tressed at the accident. He mopped his dripping 
face and hair and sat on the very edge of the raft 
so that the children would not get wet. He looked 
at the raft and the broken pole and simply, but 
quietly said, “ I swan ! ” 


The Boy and the Burglar 199 

“ What are you going to do ? ” asked Bob 
curiously. 

“ Well, I don’t see what we can do but get another 
pole from somewheres.” 

“ I’ll tell you what let’s do,” spoke up Dorothy, 
“ let’s send back after Koto to bring the boat.” 

“ Just the thing,” remarked the Cap’n drily, 
“ shall we telegraph ? ” 

“ No,” said Dorothy, “ I thought we might send 
Wag. He knows how to take a message.” 

So after the tiny note had been placed in Wag’s 
mouth, and Bob had exclaimed, “ Koto ! Koto! ” and 
whistled, “ All the Blue Bonnets,” the dog leaped 
into the river, swam rapidly to the opposite bank 
and darted off through the woods at a breakneck 
speed. Then, there was nothing to do but to wait, 
and the children comforted themselves by eating 
crackers and apples and some cream mints that 
Dorothy found in the enchanted bag. 

“ Do you suppose Koto will really come ? ” asked 
the Cap’n dubiously. 

“ Why, of course,” exclaimed Dorothy. “ He 
would do anything for us. He is the truest friend 


200 The Boy and the Burglar 

in the world and we never think of him as a servant. 
His manners are so beautiful that,” looking at Bob, 
“ we think we must appear like savages beside him. 
Aunt Margaret says it is because he never thinks of 
himself, but always of what he can do for other 
people’s comfort and accommodation, whatever that 
means. And he takes off his hat and holds it in his 
hand even when he is talking to Lydia. Bob’s go- 
ing to try to remember that, too.” 

“Did you ever happen to hear how he came to 
your grandfather ? ” 

“ No, but we’d like to, mightily,” said Bob, 
eagerly. 

“ Well, it was just this way. We had touched 
at several of the largest seaports in Japan, and had 
our cargo pretty well completed. We were trading 
in silks, teas and porcelains then, when the Captain, 
your grandfather, suddenly decided to take a run 
north for a couple of days to see if he could head 
off a certain merchantman before we headed the 
ship for home. He hoped to save time in this way, 
but we had our trip for nothing after all. Well, we 
had been at sea about three days, when, one after- 


The Boy and the Burglar 201 

noon, as the Captain was sitting in his cabin, he 
was suddenly disturbed by someone entering and 
standing before him waiting respectfully until he 
should be noticed. He glanced up quickly and saw, 
to his astonishment, a young Japanese boy, dressed 
in rather soiled white linen. 

“ ‘ Where, in the name of Confucius, did you 
come from ? 9 

“ ‘ I have been hiding for three days in among the 
cargo/ he answered, in very imperfect English. 

“ ‘ A stowaway, by the dragon of Yokohama !’ 
exclaimed the Captain angrily. ‘What right had 
you to try to steal a trip on my vessel ? ’ 

“‘lam not trying to steal it, honourable Captain. 
See, I can pay for my passage/ and stepping for- 
ward, he laid a couple of gold pieces on the desk. 

“ * I don’t want your money/ roared the Captain, 
‘ not two red cents. I should put about and take 
you straight back to your father/ 

“ ‘ I’ve not run away, augustly Sir. I’ve not a 
kindred, but I could not get away unless I hid.’ 

“ 6 Do you know what we do to stowaways on a 
merchant vessel? We haul them up to the yard- 


202 The Boy and the Burglar 

arm to keep Mother Cary’s chickens away, and 
then, we drop them overboard.’ 

“ ‘ Very well, Sir, I am ready/ said the little Jap- 
anese, looking quietly into the Captain’s scowling 
face. 

“ ‘ Here, Bennett/ he called, as I was passing the 
door, * take this boy to the fo’castle, clean him up in 
some way and bring him back in an hour. I’ve told 
him he is to hang on the yardarm for stowing away 
on my ship, but ’ ‘ Go with this man,’ in Jap- 

anese to the boy. 

“ Now I could not speak a word of his lingo, but 
as he understood a little English we contrived to 
make our conversation intelligible. He had some 
clean linen in a small bundle which he had with him, 
and he said he had lived for three days on rice cakes 
and one small bottle of water. So, before I took 
him back to the Captain, we went to the galley 
where I had the cook give the lad a snack of meat 
and some bread. The poor chap ate it as if he was 
famished, and the sailors crowded around him, idly 
curious to see the fellow who had dared acknowledge 
to the Captain that he was a stowaway. Your 


The Boy and the Burglar 203 

grandfather was not a mild-tempered man, but he 
had a heart of gold, children, even if he was a bit em- 
phatic in his speech. 

“ Presently I took the boy back to the cabin, and 
the Captain looked up from his writing. He eyed 
the lad from top to toe and the little Jap stood the 
scrutiny manfully. Then the Captain said gruffly: 

“ ‘ Are you ready? 9 

“ ‘ I am ready, honourable Captain. But first 
allow me to give you this,’ laying a small packet of 
gold pieces on the desk, with a fine gold chain. ‘ It 
would not be wise to waste them on sea gulls and 
fish, so if you will use them I shall be very grateful/ 

“ 4 Well,’ the Captain flashed a look at me and 
for a minute he was nonplussed. ‘ Take your 
trinkets, boy. Fve some work for you to do first. 
Go into my small room yonder and get out my uni- 
forms and clean them. Then tidy up the place a bit 
and ask Jim, the cook, to show you about my table, 
for I want you to wait on me hereafter, and see if 
you know how to decant a bottle. Keep yourself 
busy and remember that yard-arm is always 
there/ 


204 The Boy and the Burglar 

“ By the time we reached Boston, the Captain said 
he would not part with Koto at any price, and he 
stayed with your grandfather as cabin-boy until he 
grew too large and too bookish. Then he went off 
to school. Both he and I had left the ship before,” 
raising his hand in salute, “ before she went down 
with the Captain and her crew.” 

“ Did grandpa really mean to hang him to the 
yardarm, and ” 

“ Here they come ! ” cried Dorothy. And sure 
enough, there was the boat with Wag and Koto, and 
a short stout man, at the sight of whose rosy face, 
the children set up a cry of delight. 

“ Father! Father!” they cried. “ You’ve come 
just in time to rescue us and we aren’t hurt and it’s 
such fun. And wasn’t Wag a dear to take the 
message ? When did you come and where’s mother ? 
And did you see the Apple Tree Inn? Are you 
going to have a tent, and did Aunt Margaret know 
you were coming and never told us? ” 

The question poured forth in a perfect torrent 
until they were all comfortably seated in the boat, 
while Wag was made to sit on the raft, which was 


The Boy and the Burglar 205 

towed behind. There was a merry laugh at the 
Swiss Family Robinson and the seamanship of the 
the Cap’n. But father asked Koto for the little 
note written on the label of the box of crackers, and 
he put it away very carefully in his pocketbook. 


CHAPTER X 


THE PLAY 

T HE doctor could stay only three days away 
from his ship, and as one of them must be 
spent with grandma, and one in travelling to and 
fro, there had to be as much crowded into the 
day in camp as the hours would allow. Of course, 
the play had to be given at once and Bob hurried to 
deliver the invitations to the Spensers, and to the 
sailor boy and his grandmother, and one to grandma, 
who was to be rowed home again in the evening. 
Then they all turned to and helped Koto decorate 
the stage and cover the benches with canvas. Tall 
rows of hemlock and spruce trees had been sawed off 
and placed like a huge hedge around the cleared 
space in which the stage had been erected, and on 
the opposite sides of the stage two graceful spruce 
trees hid the edges of the platform, in front of which 
a prim, trimmed row of scrub pine had been set into 

the ground, so that the rough underpinning was 
206 


The Play 207 

completely concealed. Two fine wires had been 
stretched across from tree to tree and upon these 
was hung a green curtain, while above had been 
festooned huge ropes of ground pine, so that the 
scenes on the little stage would appear as if in a 
frame of fresh green. 

Aunt Margaret worked busily on the dainty crepe 
paper dresses the children were to wear, and Koto 
hurried everywhere at once, and yet found time to 
smuggle the doctor down to the beach for a chat 
about Bob and his trouble. When the two men had 
finished talking, the doctor could not see quite clearly 
across the water, for his eyes were misty, and in his 
heart he was glad he had a son. Bob never knew 
why his father suddenly became chummy like other 
boy's fathers, but he was delighted, for he had al- 
ways thought that to be friends with one's own 
father was the finest thing that could happen to a 
boy. And his rosy face beamed at dinner that day 
when the old Cap'n rose to his feet and proposed a 
toast to be drunk in fresh new cider, “ to the mem- 
ory of the grandfather, the Commander, whose 
spirit, bravery and courage lived again in his son, 


2o8 


The Play 

and were cropping* out rapidly in the boy, in whom 
the best of each had come together in the making of 
a gallant man.” 

It was the j oiliest kind of a dinner, for the Cap’n 
spun yarns about his old Commander and his ship, 
and the doctor told stories about his seamanship, 
and the children listened with such interest that they 
almost forgot to eat the lovely dessert which Koto 
had found time to prepare especially for this occa- 
sion. It was a macaroon and cornstarch pudding, 
made in moulds shaped like tiny ships, and the sauce 
was in three colours, cherry, white and green, while 
into the top of every ship had been stuck a tiny 
Union Jack. 

Everybody had a favour in the shape of a paper 
telescope filled with tiny sugar plums which the 
doctor had brought all the way from Cairo, and 
such a jolly time they had altogether, that it was 
nearly time for the play to begin when they rose 
from the table. Then everybody had to help Har- 
riet wipe the dishes, for she had come to take part 
in it all. As soon as the pretty crepe dresses had 
been donned and the excited children had been hur- 


The Play 209 

ried back of the stage, which was also hidden behind 
another row of spruce trees, the boats began to ar- 
rive with the guests. Everybody exclaimed and 
chatted about the clever little theatre, and, as Mr. 
Jack had brought huge bouquets for the little ac- 
tresses, and the ladies nibbled the bonbons Dorothy 
had made, it was exactly like a real theatre party. 
But the sweet fresh air and the fragrance of the 
woods would never be found in any town playhouse. 

After a few minutes the curtains were pulled 
aside and the audience saw an odd little scene in a 
Japanese garden. The stage was covered with 
green canvas to imitate grass, and a sand path 
wound in and out among clumps of potted balsam 
and pine trees, while borders of flowering plants 
from grandma's garden gave the appearance of prim 
flower beds. Huge festoons of ground pine were 
draped across the back of the stage to give a thick 
woodsy look to the trees beyond. Great bunches of 
spiky ferns seemed to grow in every nook and 
cranny, and feathery brakes were arranged in stiff 
rows around the edge of the stage. Real birds 
darted across the stage and swung on the tops of 


210 The Play 

the tiny pine trees, and now and then a clear note 
trilled from some feathered throat. 

Irrepressible giggles came from behind the scenes 
until the Garden Fairy made her appearance and oc- 
casional loud whispers added to the audience’s enjoy- 
ment of the whole performance. 

IN A CASTLE GARDEN. 

A FAIRY PLAY. 


Characters. 


Cherry Blossom In a Mist 


Mildred 

The Garden Fairy 


Lydia 

The Wandering Minstrel . 


Koto 

The Blue Butterfly 


Dorothy 

The Crimson Dragon Fly . 


Bob 


Scene in a Japanese garden just back of an old 
palace belonging to a Prince who is the father of 
Cherry Blossom in a Mist. The Garden Fairy ap- 
pears limp and bedraggled and seated on a mossy 
bank untying her tinsel-tipped shoes, which she shakes 
vigorously. She is dressed in white tulle, with 
gauze wings and a flower wreath on her head. 

The Garden Fairy. ( Shaking her little shoes) 
You are not fairy shoes at all. (Crossly). You 


The Play 21 1 

let me fall down and tear my dress and hurt my 
wings. And now you are full of tired and don’t 
want to hurry around the garden and gather the rose 
leaves that the little Princess shook off of the flowers 
this morning. They have got to be picked up and 
saved to be made over for the wee buds. And the 
leaves have got to have their edges curled a little 
so they won’t grow stiff and wiry. But I suppose 
I must go about in my stocking feet. Oh, ( peering 
through the fern hushes) here comes Cherry Blos- 
som in a Mist! How I do wish she did not have 
to play in my garden ! She rumples up the flowers 
and musses the paths when she romps and runs. I 
had better hide behind these trees and wait until she 
goes away. She might think I was made to play 
with. 

(Cherry Blossom in a Mist comes slowly along 
the sand path , sniffing the dowers and humming 
softly. Finally she spies the fairy shoes lying on 
the ground where the Garden Fairy had dropped 
them . ) 

Cherry Blossom. Oh! What have I found! 
The dearest little shoes in the world. They are so 


212 The Play 

tiny. I think they must belong to a fairy. Why, 
( trying them on) I cannot begin to get them on. 
But if they are magic shoes I’ll put them in my 
pocket and then I’ll see real fairies instead of mak- 
ing believe all the time. ( Slips them into the sleeve 
of her pretty kimono made after the style of a 
dress for a Japanese girl of high rank.) Why, the 
flowers are all looking at me. And the roses have 
such pretty faces. How could I ever shake them' 
as I did this morning just to see petals fly. And the 
baby buds have on such dear caps tucked down over 
their ears. Those trees over there are laughing at 
me and shaking their leaves. I wonder if it is be- 
cause I’ve talked to them a good deal and made be- 
lieve that they had fairies hidden away somewhere. 
I did not suppose they understood, though. Where 
can all that music come from? Everything seems 
to be singing. The crickets and the katydids and 
the grass-hoppers are singing verses, but they go so 
fast I cannot tell what they are saying. ( Listens ) 
That must be the wind talking to those pine trees 
over there. I’ll run and find out what it is about. 

( The Garden Fairy slips out of her hiding place 


The Play 213 

and runs to the hack of the stage where she calls 
softly.) Dragon Fly, Dragon Fly. Come quickly, 
I want you. 

(Dragon Fly, dressed in crimson with gauze 
wings and small peaked cap comes running in a 
hurry.) What’s the matter, Garden Fairy? You 
look bothered. Where are your shoes? Did they 
hurt you? 

Garden Fairy. Cherry Blossom picked them up 
and put them in her pocket. And of course, she can 
hear and see everything that goes on in the garden. 
How stupid of me to drop them. And now the 
wind is telling the pine trees about the arrival of 
the Blue Butterfly, and the Princess is listening. 
Suppose she waits and chases the Butterfly or tries 
to catch her ? Why, the Queen would send us right 
away from our garden and we would have to wander 
about without anything to do. The wind ought to 
have seen that she is listening and stopped murmur- 
ing right away. Do you dare go and dart at her 
and make her run away? 

Dragon Fly. I don’t like to scare her because 
she might have me caught and put into a cage. But 


214 The Play 

I’ll argue with her a little. ( Goes over to Cherry 
Blossom, who starts to run away at the sight of such 
a huge dragon fly.) Don’t run away, little Princess. 
I am pretty large for a dragon fly, but that is be- 
cause you are seeing things as they really are, now 
that you have the Garden Fairy’s shoes in your 
pocket. 

Cherry Blossom. Do they really belong to a 
fairy ? And may I keep them always ? 

Dragon Fly. I hardly think so, as she is obliged 
to go in her stocking feet until you give them up. 
And in such a garden she might run thorns in her 
toes, you know. It’s really dangerous for her. A 
truly kind-hearted person would return them at 
once. 

Cherry Blossom. But if I give them up I 
won’t be able to see any of the funny things in the 
garden. And do you know what I heard the wind 
whisper to the pine trees ? 

Dragon Fly. I hope you did not listen, Princess 
Cherry Blossom, because that would not be polite 
even in enchanted land. And we may do mischiev- 
ous things, but we are never anything but polite, 


The Play 215 

except the toads, who will sometimes hop away and 
not speak to you when you address them. But they 
live in deep wells generally, where they learn very 
little about good manners. Here comes one now. 
{Toad hops across the stage.) 

Cherry Blossom. He is not even going to look 
at us, is he? 

Dragon Fly. No; but he is not so surly as he 
looks. He told me the other day that all he cared 
for was to have the moon shine down in his well, 
and sometimes he waited days and days to have a 
flower drop from the garden into the water. Then 
he was perfectly happy. 

Cherry Blossom. Just let him go past. Don’t 
say anything, please. If he should go knee-dee, go- 
hunk, I should jump like everything. 

Dragon Fly. You are not afraid of things, are 
you ? I sting sometimes when I’m very angry. 

Cherry Blossom {drawing back a little). But 
you seem to be very pleasant just now. Have you 
always been a dragon fly? {politely). 

Dragon Fly. Oh! No! I’ll sing you a song 
about myself and then you’ll know what I used to be. 


2l6 


The Play 


DRAGON FLY SONG. 

A darting dragon fly, they say, 

A prince he was until one day, 

A fairy heard him saying things, 

That felt like hot and burning stings. 

A prince, said she, should be so kind, 
That no one can his equal find. 

But you, because you will not try, 

Shall be henceforth, a dragon fly. 

A dragon fly with flashing wings. 

A crimson mantle like a king’s, 

In royal colours shall you go, 

Until some kindness do you show. 

Of course I am that dragon fly, 

A jolly rover too, am I, 

When boys fling stones and sticks at me, 
I turn and laugh at them in glee. 

A dart, a flash and I’m away 
With wind and rippling pool to play. 
Above the water hover I, 

A glimpse of my gay self to spy. 

Shy little flowers I love to scare, 

By darting close, but hurting ne’er. 

They duck their heads all in a fright, 
Then off I go in sheer delight. 


217 


The Play- 

Some day when I’ve a mind to be, 

That thing that then will set me free, 

A truly royal prince, but my! 

I’d rather be a dragon fly. 

Cherry Blossom. But if you should ever be a 
real prince you might come and play with me and we 
could have merry times in the castle. There isn’t 
anybody there I can romp with now, and I get very 
lonely. Won’t you do something kind pretty 
quick ? 

( Clear voice calls from back of stage.) Where is 
everybody? Fairy and Dragon Fly, where are you? 

(Dragon Fly wrings his hands and looks rue- 
fully at Cherry Blossom). It is the Blue Butterfly 
from Fairyland. She bring us news every day and 
orders from the Queen. You’d better keep out of 
sight and hide behind one of those trees, or else she 
will fly away again. 

Cherry Blossom. But where is the Garden 
Fairy? I have not seen her yet. 

Dragon Fly. Sh; get behind that tree, quick. 
Here they both come. 

(Butterfly appears singing softly) : 


2 1 8 


The Play 


We waft about, 

And gently flout, 

The soft winds as they blow. 

With touch as light, 

As breezes’ flight, 

From flower to flower we go. 

The news we take, 

And interest wake, 

In the flower land. 

From fields to flowers, 

In rosy bowers, 

We fly, a welcome band. 

As petals fall, 

So lightly all, 

We flutter on our way. 

With wings so airy, 

Made by a fairy, 

We flit the livelong day. 

At night we rest, 

And seek a nest; 

In a flower’s heart we creep. 

’Neath petals rare, 

Without a care, 

The wind lulls us to sleep. 

Blue Butterfly. Oh! Here you are, Dragon 
Fly. I have a message for you. Word has been 


The Play 219 

sent to the Queen that the Piper of Tokio is 
coming to the Castle here, and that there is danger 
of his being imprisoned by the Prince. Now, you 
and Garden Fairy must prevent this some way. The 
Piper is the best friend we ever had, and the Prince 
must not be allowed to touch him. So, put your 
heads together and think of something, quick. If 
you could steal the Princess and hold her 

(Dragon Fly and Garden Fairy together.) 
Hush! She is here in the garden. She probably 
heard you. 

Blue Butterfly. Bring her right here. I want 
to talk to her. (Dragon Fly calls to the Princess, 
who comes slowly , looking in delight at the Garden 
Fairy). 

Cherry Blossom. I heard what you said about 
the Piper of Tokio coming to the Castle, and I’m 
so happy. I hope he will stay and enchant some- 
thing for me with his music. 

Blue Butterfly. Of course he will, and tell you 
fairy stories, too. But you must not let him go into 
the Castle where your honourable father can do him 
any harm. Will you allow him to hide in your 


garden until we have dealt with the Prince, as only 
we can do? 

Cherry Blossom. Oh! What fun; and I’ll bring 
him food every day, and he can play so that the 
soldiers will not touch him. I’ve heard them talk- 
ing about his music. They say he can play open 
prison doors. 

Blue Butterfly. That is so, but we will be 

grateful to you always, little Princess, if you 

Hark! ( Music in the distance) It’s the Piper com- 
ing now. How glad I am to be here. 

Garden Fairy ( running to Cherry Blossom). 
Give me my shoes, dear Princess. I cannot let the 
Piper see me in my stockings. 

(Cherry Blossom reluctantly draws them out). 
Then I cannot see you again. And I did so want 
to play with you for a little. 

Garden Fairy. Some other time, Princess. If 
you are kind to the Piper you shall have my shoes 
again. ( Disappears with others). 

( Enter Koto , attired as a minstrel. Carries reed 
pipe). Good-morning, little Princess. Why do you 
look so sad? 


The Play 221 

Cherry Blossom. Because the fairies have gone 
away, and I could only play with them such a little 
time. 

Koto. Have they been here this morning? Then, 
let’s play to bring them back again. ( Plays a merry 
tune and Cherry Blossom watches anxiously for 
fairies to return ). 

Cherry Blossom. I am afraid they have gone 
too far. But they said they would be so glad to see 
you. The wind told the pine trees that the Blue 
Butterfly had left Fairyland with the news of your 
journey here, and I heard it, and then she came and 
told the Dragon Fly, and I heard that, too, because 
I had the Garden Fairy’s shoes in my pocket. And 
when she heard you coming she took them back, 
and they all went away. 

Koto. Well, they will return presently. You see, 
they knew I was coming to see you, and of course 
they had to wait until I had done so. They are very 
polite, these wee fairies. 

Cherry Blossom. I wish I could make them stay 
with me. Do you know how I could ? 

Koto. Why, just make them think that they could 


222 The Play 

do more than anybody else to make you happy, and 
that you need them more than anyone, and I think 
they will stay. They are very unselfish. 

Cherry Blossom. Well, I’ll try that the next 
time I see them. But I am forgetting: You have 
had no tea and you must be tired. I will be back in 
just a minute, dear Piper, please excuse me. 

(As soon as she goes , the Butterfly and the 
Fairies come hurrying out from behind the bushes). 

Koto. I thought you would not appear until the 
Princess went away. How glad I am to see my 
friends again. 

Blue Butterfly. But we are so worried about 
you. There is a rumour that the Prince will im- 
prison you. 

Koto (laughing). Just a rumour, my friends. 
I have only come to see if I cannot make the Prin- 
cess a little happier. She tells me she is very lonely, 
as children of high rank always are. They may not 
romp with simple little people. Now, if you would 
help me bring a little brightness into this small life, 
I would be very grateful, and I should not feel that I 
have journeyed all this distance in vain. 


223 


The Play 

Fairies. But what can we do? 

Koto. Well, the Dragon Fly might be kind to 
her and become a live prince again, and the Garden 
Fairy could play she is a jolly little girl, and the 
Blue Butterfly can go back to Fairyland and get 
permission to stay with the Princess whenever she 
was needed. 

( The Fairies look at each other in dismay. The 
dear Piper has asked them to give up their fairy 
guises and become just like plain children , who 
would have to make believe). 

Dragon Fly (stoutly). I for one, will do it, but 
my ! I’d rather be a dragon fly. 

Garden Fairy. It would only be because you 
asked it and it would please you. 

Blue Butterfly. I will go back at once to Fairy- 
land, and be here by the time the Princess brings 
the tea things. 

Koto. To make other people happy is what we 
are here for, is it not? Whether we are in Fairy- 
land or a castle garden. Come, now, off with the 
wings and stings. (The two Fairies run away and the 
Blue Butterfly disappears behind the pine trees. ) 


224 The Play 

(Cherry Blossom staggers in with a tray cov- 
ered with dainties and the Piper nibbles a little at 
them to please her). 

Koto. You are very thoughtful and hospitable, 
little Princess, and now in return, I will play to you, 
if you will sit down on this mossy bank and listen. 

Cherry Blossom. Play the tunes that bring the 
birds and the butterflies, and that make the children 
follow you, and the jolly songs that turn the winter 
into summertime, with rustling leaves and nodding 
flowers. I’ve heard of your music, and I would 
rather have the real you than all the whole of Fairy- 
land. 

( While he amuses her with his clever music , the 
Fairies, dressed as Japanese children , steal back 
upon the stage , and presently Koto spies them.) 

Koto. I told you so, little Princess: The little 
Fairies have come back, and see, they have made 
themselves like real children, so that they could stay 
and play with you. 

( Children run forward and catch her hands). 

Cherry Blossom. I’m so happy to have some 
playfellows; but I must know if you have brought 


your wands and wings. And do you think the 
Queen will ever come to visit you at the Castle ? 

All Together. Maybe she will, but we cannot 
tell. We did not bring our wings because we left 
them to be mended by the fairy seamstress. We do 
not often have time to have them repaired ; and we 
can stay until the trees begin to blossom in the spring 
and then everybody in Fairyland has to work. 

Blue Butterfly. Perhaps the Queen would 
allow us to take Cherry Blossom back with us, and 
then she can see the dragons and the brownies, and 
elves that never go away from home. And we’ll 
take her to ride on the fiery tails of the rockety stars 
and we’ll dance on the moonbeams 

Garden Fairy (interrupting ) . And we’ll teach 
her how to make party dresses out of silvery clouds, 
and lace handkerchiefs out of cobwebs, and how to 
catch dewdrops to wear in her hair. 

Dragon Fly. And hear the crickets fiddle and the 
birds sing in opera, and go to the fairy races in the 
summer time, and the garden parties in the orchard. 

Koto (gently). While you are showing the 
Princess all of these strange things, let her also see 


226 The Play 

the wonderful telescope with which the Fairy Queen 
sees into children’s hearts, and then whenever any- 
thing goes wrong with them, she sends a messenger 
out to find the lost smiles and happiness. Tears, 
you know, are never seen in Fairyland, and the 
fairies are trying to banish them from ours. 

Cherry Blossom. I won’t have to cry now or 
feel sorry for myself. I shan’t have to make be- 
lieve even to be happy. 

Dragon Fly { aside ). And how I shall miss my 
dips into the cool ponds after gnats and things. 

Garden Fairy {softly). And I my rides on the 
swift swallows. 

Blue Butterfly. We will all miss a lot, but we 
will gain something, too, and being real for a time 
will be a relief from pretending forever, for that 
is what we really do all our lives — just make believe 
we are anything at all, and only people that do that 
too, know anything about Fairies. Come, let us 
dance in a magic circle, while the Piper plays and 
puts us in tune to begin our new lives right merrily. 

Dance. 

{Curtain.) 


CHAPTER XI 


THE END OF THE QUEST 

O F course, they were all delighted with the 
simple childplay, and the children were 
called out and presented with the flowers Mr. 
Spenser had brought, and Dorothy bowed over the 
row of scrub pines, as if they had been the foot- 
lights of a real theatre. 

“ Oh, ’’she exclaimed to Bob, afterwards, “ I felt 
as if I might act almost anything after that, even 
Portia or Juliet, maybe. And I know that the 
actors that make themselves great are the very ones 
that best can make believe that they are somebody 
else. That’s the whole secret.” 

“ Well, you’d better believe that Aunt Margaret 
wants you as plain Dorothy this minute, to help her 
with the tea things. But, if you do ever get to be 
a great actress, Dor, don’t howl when you cry, the 
way you do when we play the ‘ Wide, Wide World.’ 
You do look awfully funny.” 

227 


228 The End of the Quest 

The little girls, still dressed in their crepe paper 
kimonos, handed the cups about, and Bob passed 
the plates of cake with such a fascinating manner 
that the doctor choked over his tea, and grandma 
looked in alarm at his red face. “ That blessed 
Japanese,” she heard him say under his breath. 

After the doctor had been told about the sailor 
boy, and the voyage of the two little girls, the ad- 
ventures of Lady Jane Grey and the Queen of Sheba, 
and everybody had been as entertaining as possible, 
grandma then decided it was time for her return 
to the farm, before the afternoon shadows grew 
long over the river and woods. So, the doctor and 
Koto rowed her home, and the children begged her 
to hold on tight to the boat and not wriggle about, 
for it was a very ticklish thing for a very old lady 
to go on the water at all. 

After a short time, however, Koto came rowing 
rapidly back with the doctor, who had found a tele- 
gram waiting for him at the farm ordering him to re- 
turn to his ship at once. So he promised to go over 
the Apple Tree Inn before he went to the train, and 
to read all the cunning verses and look into the 


The End of the Quest 229 

kitchen mirror and at the apple blossom cups Koto 
had made, so that he could tell mother all about it. 
Then he hugged all four of them at once, and told 
them that he was proud of them in a bunch, and of 
each one separately for some one different thing. 

“ Only three weeks more with grandma, young 
folks, and then home to mother, who has missed her 
chicks very much. You’ll have a happy time to 
think of all winter, and some of the things you will 
never forget, especially Koto. I am trying to per- 
suade him to go into the university at home, so 
maybe we shall see something of him this winter.” 

Then off they went with Wag sitting in the bow 
of the boat, and the children waved and called after 
them until the boat was out of sight and hearing. 
Koto was very quiet when the doctor tried to thank 
him for his goodness to his little people. 

“ It has been a great pleasure to be with them,” 
he said simply ; “ they are all splendid youngsters, 
and will be something one of these days.” 

“ Think over what I said about coming to town,” 
urged the doctor. “ There ought to be a berth for 
you in the university. Do come.” 


230 The End of the Quest 

Koto shook his head and smiled. “ I’m going to 
Japan in a few weeks, doctor. I must find my place 
in my own country. Evidently I have wasted many 
years in searching for those papers, but the object 
was a serious one to me. It has been a hard quest, 
but I guess I might as well give it up and go back.” 

“ You cannot find any trace of them, or of the 
people who stole them?” 

“ No, and I never will. I shall not be acknowl- 
edged the heir as I hoped and prayed I might be, 
for my father’s sake. The property will revert to 
the State next year, so I had better end the quest 
and get down to my life’s work.” 

But sometimes it happens that we are nearer the 
goal when we think it is furthest away, and al- 
though Koto had decided to give up his attempts to 
find his papers, the end of the quest came in a most 
surprising way and almost immediately, too. 

It was quite late that night when Koto went back 
to' the Apple Tree Inn to lock it safely, and after he 
had secured the kitchen door and was passing the 
cabinet, he stopped just a minute to look at it. He 
was carrying a small lighted lamp in his hand, and 


The End of the Quest 231 

when he stooped over to peer at the studded door, 
a heavy stone, hurled through the open doorway, 
struck him on the side of his head, and he fell like 
a log to the floor. The lamp crashed and the oil, 
which scattered and ran in every direction, burned 
in little blue flames along the matting. 

And a man skulking among the apple trees out- 
side, sneaked away, muttering, “ I’ve fixed him for 
tying me and carrying me down stairs, the yellow 
heathen.” 

Of course, the little fingers of fire ran quickly 
across the matting into the next room, caught the 
fluffy ruffles of the curtains, and in a few minutes 
the whole house was ablaze. The flames crept 
around Koto and singed his hair and burnt holes in 
his clothing and still he lay there unconscious of 
the danger menacing him. Suddenly from the 
orchard there came a long bay, a fierce rush, a deep 
growl, and Wag, with every hair bristling, leaped 
into the blazing room, seized Koto’s shoulder and 
pulled and tugged frantically until he had dragged 
the Japanese out under the trees. Then, with his 
beautiful coat burnt and scorched, his paws blis- 


The End of the Quest 


232 

tered and the plume on his tail entirely burnt off, 
the dog crouched down by the unconscious man and 
howled and moaned so piteously that a man, who 
was passing in the road, and happened to spy the 
smoke, jumped over the old stone wall and ran 
across the orchard. Koto was at once lifted away 
from the heat of the burning building, and the man 
stood for a second peering into the front room, 
wondering if he could not save some of the pretty 
things of which he had heard so much. He sud- 
denly made a dash at a venture and caught up the 
cabinet, as it was nearest the door, and springing 
back he flung it down on the ground and rolled him- 
self over and over on the grass to put out the sparks 
that had clung to his clothes. In a few minutes he 
had aroused the inmates of the house, grandma, 
Harriet and John, the man, who was dispatched at 
once for a doctor, as soon as Koto had been carried 
into the best guest room downstairs. 

Then it remained for poor Wag to bring other 
assistance, for he hobbled home when they had shut 
him out of Koto’s room, and sitting beneath his 
master’s bedroom window, howled until he came 


The End of the Quest 233 

downstairs to find out what ailed the dog-. Then, in 
the light from the great lamp in the hall, Mr. Spen- 
ser saw the burns and the singed hair, and asked 
quickly what the matter was and where it was. Wag 
started off at once, limping down the front steps. 

“ All right, I’ll go with you, you almost human 
things ; ” and in a few minutes he was following 
quickly after Wag, who led him straight to the 
smouldering ruins of the Apple Tree Inn. Then he 
hurried to the house, where he saw lights moving 
about, and of course, offered the services of his 
auto to fetch the other doctor and a nurse from the 
village. And then Wag crawled away into a corner 
of the hall and watched jealously everyone who went 
in and out of the bedroom. Finally, when one of 
the doctors was hurrying through the hall he re- 
membered the man had said that the dog must have 
pulled Koto from the flames, and noticing Wag 
crouching in the corner, stooped to examine him. 
He went back into the sick-room and in a few 
minutes returned with bandages and a cooling 
lotion, and Wag’s paws were soon swathed in the 
softest linen, and as gently as if he had been a baby. 


The End of the Quest 


234 

And the next day they let him have his own way, 
and he slept beside Koto’s bed, and the kind-hearted 
nurse took care of them both. 

After Mr. Jack had finished the many errands to 
the village, he went off to the boat landing and 
rowed rapidly down the river to explain Koto’s 
absence to Aunt Margaret, who was much worried, 
and feared to remain alone in camp all night with 
the children. 

Then the little folks were awakened and bade to 
dress quickly, and in a few minutes they were skim- 
ming along over the water, all weeping bitterly 
over the destruction of the Inn and poor Koto’s 
injuries. 

The next day they tiptoed around the house and 
haunted the hall into which Koto’s door opened. 
They gathered flowers from the garden and sent 
them to him with all kinds of sweet messages, and 
pouted because Wag was admitted to the sacred 
precincts and they were not. The little girls went 
to ride with Mr. Spenser, but they coaxed Dorothy 
in vain to accompany them. 

“ No, indeed,” she would say; “ I am allowed to 


The End of the Quest 235 

help fix his food and beat the eggs he has to take, 
and he might want them while I was away, and I 
would never get over it.” 

Then, finally, there came a day when they were 
allowed to creep into the darkened room and look 
at the invalid, whose eyes burned brilliantly beneath 
the bandages on his head. 

“ Oh, Koto,” whispered Mildred pityingly, 
“ shall you have any hair at all when you get well ? 
Won’t you look too funny? ” 

Koto smiled. “ I’m glad enough to have any 
head at all,” he said softly. “ I thank you for all 
the flowers and messages you have sent. And I 
want to tell Miss Dorothy to look in the top drawer 
of my dresser upstairs and find four boxes. There 
is one for each of you. I intended to take them to 
the camp to give you that night.” 

“ Koto,” said Mildred curiously, “ did the stone 
hurt when it hit you? ” 

“A little,” he replied in a voice that made the 
nurse hustle the children out of the room as quickly 
as possible. 

And what do you think they found in those four 


236 The End of the Quest 

boxes? Dorothy’s had in it a gold bracelet, made 
like a twisted dragon, and each of the little girls had 
a fine gold chain on which hung a wee gilt and white 
fairy with a wand and filigree wings. Bob’s had a 
watch chain ornament made of jade, with some fine 
gold lettering on it in Japanese characters, which 
he afterwards learned meant “ courage.” Aunt 
Margaret did not like it very much, for the presents 
were expensive, but she said nothing to spoil the 
children’s delight over their gifts. 

Of course, the camp was broken up and the things 
stored away to use next year. Nothing could be 
done without Koto, who had planned and managed 
the whole thing from the beginning. The ruins of 
the Apple Tree Inn were quickly cleared away, and 
someone picked up the cabinet and placed it on the 
side porch where everybody forgot all about it. 
Every little while during the day the children would 
remember something they wished could have been 
saved from the fire, and they used to pretend that 
the genie of the Silvery Mist could conjure their 
beloved Inn back again. 

“ Koto could do it, of course,” said Dorothy, 


The End of the Quest 237 

“ but it would be a strain on him to have to keep 
on conjuring hard enough so that we could play 
in it.” ^ 

One day Lydia asked Harriet why she did not 
have that verse painted around her kitchen mirror 
so she would remember to smile while she baked. 

“ Bless your heart, missy,” replied the good- 
natured Harriet, “ if I spent my time smiling and 
looking into the glass, you would have precious few 
cakes to eat. I’ll have to take my chances on having 
th^ oven ^rownies sit on my baking. They won’t 
do' it but once, if I ever catch them.” 

“You wouldn’t hurt a fairy, would you?” ex- 
claimed Lydia in astonishment. 

“ I wouldn’t, if I knew it was one, missy, but if 
it looked like a roach or a spider, it would not have 
much chance to conjure me.” 

That afternoon when the little folks sat in one of 
the apple trees, Bob said to Lydia curiously : “ Say, 
Lydia, did you honestly unfasten the dining-room 
window that night so that the fairies could get in? 
And did that horrid burglar discover it ? ” 

“ Yes, I did. And I crept downstairs after 


238 The End of the Quest 

Harriet was asleep and I heard somebody in Aunt 
Margaret’s room, and thought they had come, so I 
opened the door just a crack to see, and I saw that 
thief. ' But I shut it so softly that he did not hear 
me. But ” 

Bob whistled. “ And you did not tell anybody ? ” 

“ No, because I did not know but what the fairies 
had sent him. But,” and she nodded vigorously, 
“ I’ll never do it again, because men aren’t ever 
fairies; Koto said so.” 

“ You would be scared to pieces if you should see 
one,” said Bob consolingly, “ and scoot upstairs 
like sixty.” 

“ I saw you scoot up stairs yourself only last 
night, mister,” said Mildred scornfully. “You flew 
upstairs and slammed your door as if you were 
afraid the burglar was hiding in the dark on the 
landing, so there.” 

“I wasn’t scared; I was just pretending that I 
was a hospital doctor, and somebody had sent for 
me in a hurry. I was just saving time.” 

“ Humph ! I went to the Children’s Hospital once 
with mother, and the doctors there went as soft as 


The End of the Quest 239 

anything, and when they shut a door they almost 
breathed it shut.” 

“ Well, mine was a different kind of a hospital,” 
answered Bob indifferently, as he walked away 
whistling. 

One afternoon, after dinner, the children were 
told to go around to the side porch for a little, and 
there they found Koto sitting in a great steamer 
chair. They hovered around him and plied him 
with questions until the nurse threatened to send 
them all away. 

“ Can’t he even show me how sore his hand is 
under the bandage?” demanded Mildred. “I let 
him see my finger when it was cut and Aunt Mar- 
garet had bound it up. It was awful bloody.” 

“Well, this is different,” said the nurse gently; 
“ besides it hurts to have the bandage touched.” 

While they were chatting merrily about what 
they were going to do next summer, and every plan 
included Koto, of course, the sailor boy and his 
grandmother came suddenly along the path. Koto 
tried to rise from his chair, but the sailor’s grand- 
mother insisted upon his staying in his chair. 


240 


The End of the Quest 


“ I must only stay a few minutes and I want to 
speak to you. Please send the youngsters away for 
a little. ,, 

Then when they were alone she asked him if he 
had planned and built the Apple Tree Inn. 

“ I did a small part of it, madam, but Mrs. 
DeLong planned it.” 

“ Have you the plans — the drawings, I mean ? ” 

“ Yes, they were kept. Would you like to have 
them, madam ? ” 

“ Not just now, until I tell you what my plan is. 
My idea is this: I am so grateful to the children 
for their share in helping my grandson to escape 
from the officers that day, that I would like to 
rebuild the Apple Tree Inn to show my gratitude. 
So when they come again, they will find it waiting 
for them.” 

Koto’s eyes gleamed. “ Indeed, madam, I have 
spent hours trying to find some way in which I 
could do that very thing, but my means are too 
limited. If you will undertake it, I will give you 
every assistance in my power.” 

“ All right, then. Some day when you are able. 


The End of the Quest 241 

I will come over and we will discuss it. In the 
meantime, I will go and approach Mrs. DeLong on 
the subject.” 

And she did come again and again, and the three 
talked and planned together, and Aunt Margaret 
promised to furnish the second inn exactly like the 
first, and the work was to begin as soon as the chil- 
dren had gone home and before Koto's return to 
Japan. So, in spite of his enforced idleness, he was 
kept busy suggesting ideas about the drawings and 
the engaging of the workmen and painters. And 
so many improvements and new ideas were brought 
out, that it seemed certain the second Apple Tree 
Inn would utterly eclipse the first. 

The plans were nearly completed and the workmen 
actually engaged, when the sailor boy's grandmother 
came hurrying over one afternoon to consult Koto 
about a change in the shape of the little veranda 
that was to be added to the plans for the Inn. She 
was dressed in her cherry-coloured silk, and the 
children, including Koto, all started when they saw 
her. Koto had been telling one of his wonderful 
stories, and she said she would be glad to listen 


The End of the Quest 


242 

until he had finished it, but he insisted upon stop- 
ping at once. 

“ It seems to me,” she said abruptly, pointing to 
the cabinet which the fire had marred and spoiled, 
“ that that thing could be cleaned and polished 
again.” 

“ I was thinking the other day,” said Aunt Mar- 
garet, “ that I would send it to the city and have it 
repaired in some way.” 

“ These doors have always had the greatest fas- 
cination for me,” went on the sailor’s grandmother, 
pressing the stained brass nails with her dainty 
fingers. Suddenly, under the slightest pressure, a 
panel in the tiny door fell open with a click and she 
drew back in dismay. “ What have I done ? I’ve 
broken something.” 

A cry from Mildred caused them all to turn in 
alarm. “ Look at Koto. What is the matter with 
him?” she whimpered. 

Koto had risen to his feet and his eyes were star- 
ing wildly at the secret panel. His hands were 
clenched in his efforts to control his excitement, and, 
without a word, the sailor’s grandmother stepped 


The End of the Quest 243 

back and allowed him to go to the cabinet. Slowly 
he moved towards it, and like a man in a dream, 
he knelt down and thrust the fingers of his well 
hand into the aperture. Then he drew out a small 
folded paper, and another, and another, each of 
which he opened with trembling fingers. Silently 
he knelt there as if powerless to move. Tears rolled 
down his cheeks, and he sobbed like a child. Sud- 
denly, however, he sprang up and holding the papers 
triumphantly above his head, cried: “ At last! At 
last! I can now prove I am my father’s son, after 
all these years.” Then he pressed the papers 
against his face caressingly. 

After a minute he saw that he was being watched 
curiously, and stepping in front of the sailor’s 
grandmother with a manner that might have graced 
a king, he stooped and raised the edge of her gown 
to his lips, saying very humbly: 

“ For all my life long I shall be very grateful to 
this lady in the cherry-coloured dress for giving 
back to me what that other one in the cherry gown 
took away. See,” he explained, showing the 
papers, yellowed with age, “ this is my birth cer- 


The End of the Quest 


244 

tificate ; this my father’s will, and this, the record of 
my mother’s marriage portion. They were stolen 
years ago, and I have searched and traced the cabi- 
net, which once belonged to my father, all over the 
world, it seems to me. When, finally, I heard it 
was here, I determined to end the quest if I failed 
to find them in the cabinet. And here they are ! ” 

Everybody congratulated him, and Lydia threw 
her arms around him and gave him a great hug, 
which made his eyes misty again. 

“ You won’t have to go away now, will you, 
Koto ? ” she asked wistfully. 

“ Indeed, little lady, I shall have to go almost at 
once.” 

“ But he will come again,” said Aunt Margaret, 
kindly, for she saw the excitement had been too 
much for the sick man, and she hurried the children 
away on some errand. 

“ I should like to ask one thing,” said Koto, after 
a few minutes, “ and that is to be allowed to fit up 
one room in the Inn and dedicate it to the lady in the 
cherry-coloured dress, who also shall have a room 
in my own house named after her.” And he did it, 


The End of the Quest 245 

too. And long afterwards, when the sailor boy, who 
went to Japan with Koto, was asked to invite his 
grandmother to visit him in the palace, she found 
it the loveliest room anyone had ever dreamt of. 

When Koto was able to travel, he went to town 
with the children, taking with him the cabinet which 
had been given to him at once, and to-day it stands 
singed and stained, in a glass case in Koto’s palace, 
and is an object held in great honour and respect 
by his household. 

He stayed with the doctor for a week or two, and 
he was as kind and thoughtful as when he was at 
the Beach Farm, and in fact, the children were 
rather disappointed because he did not show in any 
way that he was a very great lord indeed. 

“ He’9 just the same Koto all the time, and isn’t 
puffed up or proud, and if he is rich he doesn’t look 
it, and he doesn’t order people about at all.” 

“ That is because he is truly noble at heart as 
well as by birth,” said the doctor, “ and that is the 
best thing any of us could be.” 

After some months, they heard from him in his 
home in Tokio, and he told the doctor to tell the 


246 The End of the Quest 

children that he was sending them a box of some 
truly Japanese things that would seem almost as if 
they were from Fairyland, but they were real and 
not make-believe, and were to be played with every 
day. Now, if you can imagine what pretty things 
might be sent from Tokio to four happy children, 
why, you may be able to guess pretty well what they 
found in that precious box. The children talk 
about it to this very day, and they never weary of 
telling their little friends about the Apple Tree Inn 
and the guests they entertained, as well as the din- 
ners Dorothy cooked, which showed that she knew 
almost as much as the teacher at cooking school. 

“ But the strangest of all were Koto’s stories, and 
the birds he made sing to his music in the woods that 
day,” said Dorothy, one evening during the winter. 

“ Do you suppose,” said Bob dubiously, “ that 
Koto made us hear and see them just as he made us 
see that rooster? Maybe he conjured them.” 

“ I think we all must be conjured,” said Mildred, 
candidly, “ ’cause Bob is so polite and Dorothy is 
not stuck up, and Lydia is as nice as can be, and 
I ” 


The End of the Quest 


247 


“ Yes, and you?” teased Bob. 

“ I try not to think of candy every minute, and 
I think we had better stay conjured, so we will be 
invited to the Beach Farm next summer, too.” 

And so they did, and to us, who know them very 
well, they seem to have remained conjured in a 
most delightful way. 


THE END 



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*« A flavor of Japan is apparent on every page.** 

— Boston Transcript. 


A Maid of Japan 

By MRS. HUGH FRASER 

With cover design and decorations in the Japanese manner 
by Bertha Stuart. $1.25. 

• 

An exquisite and delicate love story following the 
appearance of a young English student in Enoshima. 
The island girl, Hime, a shell gatherer, whose fate 
is strangely linked with the hero’s, is a heroine of 
especial charm and interest. 


Mr. John La Farge writes as follows: “Mrs. Fraser has had the 
advantage, or might I say the fortune, of seeing a great deal of Japan 
behind the scenes. Her residence in Japan while Mr. Fraser was British 
Envoy to the Court of Japan gave that special acquaintance with the 
reasons and causes of things which, in many cases, tends to diminish the 
charm, to take away the bloom, that may cover a foreign land to the out- 
sider. But Mrs. Fraser’s knowledge has never withered her interest in 
the poetic and romantic side of that strange country, which we know so 
well, and so inaccurately. To her the Japanese have kept a charm and 
an interest which she has expressed in whatever she has written. Mrs. 
Fraser has placed this story in the fairy landscape of Enoshima, as a 
fitting frame for her romance.” 

New York Times Review : “The story is told with surpassing grace, 
and possesses to a rare degree both atmosphere and temperament. The 
author takes us into the Japan of the Japanese, not the Japan of the 
foreigner. ... A book so full of artistic simplicity without and 
within, with such genuine value underlying its lightly heaped blossoms of 
romance.” 

Outlook: “A romantic story . . . moral tone is high, literary 

finish good, general effect idyllic and the typographical presentation 
unique and agreeable.” 

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tale, romantic as moonlight and calculated to smooth out a puckered 
brow. Should be a popular summer story.” 

New York Globe : “Bewitching. . . . The little heroine is charm- 
ing. . . . The volume is an example of artistic bookmaking. A 

most suitable gift book in every way.” 


Henry Holt and 

Publishers (vii. ’05) 


Company 

New York 


TWO STORIES FOR GIRLS 


Dandelion Cottage 

By Mrs. Carrol Watson Rankin 
Illustrated by Mmes. Shirm and Finley. $1.50 

Four young girls secure the use of a tumble- down cottage, 
on condition that they shall keep the grounds in order. They 
set up housekeeping under numerous disadvantages, and have 
many amusements and queer experiences. 

Outlook: “ A capital story. It is refreshing to come upon an author 
who can tell us about real little girls, with sensible, ordinary parents, 
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Boston Herald : “ The story is one of cheerfulness and fun, and is to 
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Philadelphia Press: “All told in a readable and entertaining style 
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and cheerfully told.” 


Nut-Brown Joan 

By Marion Ames Taggart 

Author 0 / “ Miss Lochinvas ,” etc. 

With decorations by Blanche Ostertag. $1.50 

Nut-Brown Joan is a charming heroine with plenty of in- 
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a high sense of honor, and a loyalty and love for each other. 
Secret expeditions, rivalry in sports, mysterious trials and 
successful solutions all have their place. 


Henry 

Publishers 


Holt and 

<«. ’os) 


Company 

New York 


























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